The Devil You Know
by Bobisnotmyrealname
Summary: 15 years after the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy has retired and is finally living the normal life that she'd always believed that she'd wanted, until 2 hunters show up adding some new (and yet familiar) spice to her life. Can Buffy help the Winchesters with their case? And where will it lead them? Eventual Buffy/Dean
1. Prologue

**A/N: This story contains Supernatural Season 13 spoilers, fair warning if you aren't caught up on the show.**

 **Any events that occurred (or will occur) in Supernatural after S13E13 will be mostly disregarded and you can consider this AU. Sam and Dean have been spending most of their time with Cas and Donatello looking for ways to bring Jack and Mary back from the other Earth. In the Buffy timeline, this takes place 15 years after the events of Season 7 and the destruction of Sunnydale. If some of the characters seem different, it's because they are - a lot can happen in 15 years.**

 **Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing...**

Prologue

2004 – 14 years ago  
Cleveland, OH  
Route 90

Dean yawned as his father fiddled with the radio. Styx's "Come Sail Away" came on, and John drummed on the steering wheel gently. John knew that, at 25, Dean was perfectly capable of handling this case on his own, but his father didn't have a case at the moment, so he'd decided to join Dean on this one. Though it was technically Dean's car at this point, his father had taken over driving the Impala as soon as he'd arrived, not asking for Dean's permission. Dean felt a twinge of annoyance at this, but he didn't say anything, knowing his father too well to argue.

They pulled into a Motel 6 and checked in for 2 nights under the names Marcus and Fredrick Scott. The room was small and dingy with an uncomfortable odor of cats that lingered on the furniture. The kitchen area, with a small table and mismatched chairs, looked like it hadn't been properly scrubbed in months, maybe years. Dean wholeheartedly hoped that they would not be here for more than 2 nights. Not that this was much worse than what he was used to, but the cat smell made him slightly nauseated. Looking around, John sat down at the table and opened his notebook, pulling out the newspaper clipping that Dean had found regarding this case.

The article described a mansion called the "Franklin Castle" by Cleveland locals, though it was more of a large manor. During his research, Dean had found that the house had sat empty for many years due to rumors of hauntings and a grizzly past; including multiple suspicious deaths and a skeleton that was found in a closet in the 90's. The house had only recently been purchased by a private party and Dean was concerned about ghosts for the new owners. He wanted to clear the place out before anyone moved in.

Built by Hannes Tiedemann in the late 1800's, the Tiedemann family suffered from several unfortunate events soon after moving in to the Franklin Castle. Mr. Tiedemann's wife, mother, and 4 children all died under "mysterious circumstances," until Hannes himself died. Dean suspected, based on some of his research, that Mr. Tiedemann, the patriarch of the family, had committed more than a couple crimes while living in the house, ranging from murder to sexual assault; and he was willing to bet that the biggest and baddest ghost in the house (assuming it wasn't the only one) was his. Dean and his father were planning to check out the house the next day to see what they could learn, and then tomorrow night they would salt and burn the bones of Hannes Tiedemann and any others who might be hanging around the place.

Dean considered going to bed, but it wasn't too late and he wasn't feeling particularly tired. He decided to go have a drink at a bar that he'd seen on the way in to the motel. As he got up, his father watched him go but didn't say anything until Dean's hand was on the doorknob.

"You're going out now?"

"I'm thirsty – just going to go have a drink at the bar next door."

"Dean, you should be going to bed, we're on a case," his father said, a hint of disapproval in his voice. Dean rolled his eyes, well aware that John was more than likely to pull out a flask and start drinking by himself, as soon as Dean left. He loved his father, but sometimes he vaguely wondered if he wasn't a bit of a hypocrite.

He shooed the thought away and simply said, "won't be long." He opened the door to the cold night, a hint of snow in the air and he pulled his jacket tightly around him, though he wasn't bothered enough to button it. He walked the short distance to the bar, apparently called "The Thirsty Mule" and went inside. For a Tuesday night, he was surprised to find a run-down place like this as busy as it was.

He sat down at the bar, which looked like it hadn't been properly cleaned in ages, and ordered a Margiekugel with no glass. The bartender, a grumpy looking middle-aged man, shuffled off to ring in his order and grab him a bottle. Looking behind the bar, Dean saw that the mirror behind the liquor was cracked, and reflected a shelf with limited options – not that Dean was usually one to order top-shelf anything, but it was still disappointing. Taking a sip after his beer was placed down in front of him, he glanced around to find the reason for the impressive business that the grimy pub was doing. Dancing by the jukebox, which stood in a corner near some empty pool tables was a young, pretty brunette dancing with an uncomfortable looking blonde. Men were crowded around the two women, trying to join in their dancing with little success. The brunette seemed to enjoy the attention and flashed smile after smile at most of the men. The blonde was dancing halfheartedly and clearly wished to be practically anywhere else. Obviously her friend had dragged her out tonight and she wasn't happy about it.

Dean found both women attractive, particularly the blonde, although he suspected he'd have much better luck with her friend who was now dancing seductively staring between two men, though her arm was draped over the shoulder of the blonde. Had he been on his own for this case, Dean probably would have gone for it, but with his father waiting for him back at the motel, Dean sighed and looked away from the tempting sight, knowing it was a lost cause.

He drank his beer in silence, occasionally glancing back at the crowd near the jukebox, which was really the only interesting thing happening in the place. There were old, box TVs sporadically hanging from the ceiling, but none of them were on. So instead, he continued to watch the girls through the cracked mirror. It appeared that the blonde was now trying to convince her friend that it was time to go, to which the brunette seemed to be indicating that she was perfectly capable of going home by herself. The blonde frowned at her friend, but then seemed resigned. She shook her head at the brunette, and headed for the exit. Neither woman appeared particularly concerned about their respective safeties in a place like this, which surprised Dean, who found that women tended to use the buddy system when drinking. The brunette started dancing with two different guys, a half-empty bottle dangling loosely from her hand. Dean shook his own head, only slightly worried about the woman who was now on her own, though she appeared completely undaunted.

Again lamenting the fact that his father was waiting for him, Dean turned away from the alluring woman, finished his beer and stood up, throwing a few bills down on the bar. He walked back to the motel, still thinking about the blonde and brunette. Vaguely, he wondered if Sam had been here and not his father, would they each have gone for one of the women? Dean wasn't about to ask his father to be his wingman; that would just be weird.

Dean missed his brother, though he knew better than to reach out to him. Sammy was undoubtedly still mad at their father, and John was definitely still angry at Sam for running off to college. The weird thing was though, that while Dean knew John was still pissed at Sam, he always talked about him (with other people, at least) with pride. If he was honest with himself, Dean was annoyed with Sam for leaving them too – for leaving him alone with their father. He'd never understood his brother, but he still loved him, and his father wasn't exactly the poster child for parental care.

Dean shivered and pulled his jacket around himself again as cold, snowy air hit him in the face.

He arrived back at the motel and in walking back into their room, he found his father still sitting at the table, flask in hand as expected. He was dozing in the chair, notebook still open in front of him. Dean shook his head and collapsed on his bed, fully dressed, feet dangling off the edge. He was pleasantly surprised when no dust cloud appeared around him as he did so. What he wouldn't give for a place to call his own and – heaven forbid – his own room. Turning to more cheerful thoughts, he fell asleep with pleasant images of the dancing women running through his head and "what if's" regarding his father's presence on the case.

XXXX

Dean and his father spent the next day finding out whatever additional information they could about the "Franklin Castle." They went to the hall of records, but didn't find much more than what Dean had already uncovered. Dean would have liked to talk to some previous owners, or maybe even the cops who'd uncovered the skeleton in the 90's, but John didn't like drawing attention to themselves by involving law enforcement whenever he could help it. Dean on the other hand, had found that by using faked government badges, his cases were easier to solve, but he wasn't about to argue this with his father.

After nightfall, Dean and John went to the house and began a thorough search, EMF readers in hand. They'd had to break in of course, since the place was sealed up and no one lived there yet. Inside, they found the place empty, apart from dust, cobwebs, and a few rats. It looked like someone had crashed here at some point in the past, though not recently. The reputation of the house as hunted seemed to be driving potential squatters away. The EMF readers buzzed like an arcade game in most rooms, though they didn't actually see or hear anything of interest. At one point, Dean thought he might have found ectoplasm in the kitchen, but it turned out to just be mold.

While wandering the house, a random thought struck Dean and he turned to his father, "Any idea why this place is called the 'Franklin Castle' when it was built by the Tiedemann's?"

"Focus, Dean. It doesn't matter," his father scolded. Dean rolled his eyes. His father was right, of course. It didn't really matter, but he was curious anyway. Maybe he'd look that up later.

When they entered what appeared to be a master bedroom, Dean had the worst feeling that he was being watched. He kept looking over his shoulder, but he didn't see anything. They were about to leave, resigned to having to dig up all the bodies of the Tiedemann family, when they clearly heard a deep male voice shout "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Shaken, though not particularly afraid, John and Dean nodded to each other and left the "castle." They drove the 10 minutes to Riverside Cemetery where the family were all buried, helpfully, together. Dean was pretty sure that it was the father that was the problem at this point, but John insisted they be sure and dig up all the family members who'd died in the house. This was going to be an all-night task, which Dean found unfortunate as he would have preferred trying to find that brunette again for some post-hunt, extra-curricular activities (at her place, of course); John couldn't object if the case was over.

Going around to the trunk of the Impala after parking outside the cemetery, Dean and John both pulled out shovels and Dean grabbed a duffle bag with the salt and gasoline, plus some iron-made tools in case any ghosts decided to show up, though it was unusual for ghosts to stray away from their usual haunts. He slammed the trunk down and they walked into the cemetery. There was a light snow falling, but it was too warm for it to stick. They kept their eyes open, but didn't see anything as they passed headstone after headstone. The moon was bright through the clouds, lighting their path, making flashlights almost unnecessary. As they approached the Tiedemann family plot however, they heard voices coming from their right.

Wary, they looked at each other, then quickly stashed their shovels behind a large tree that was nearby and tried to look normal. They picked a nearby tombstone that looked more recent, and both gathered in front of it, trying to look properly morose.

Less than a minute later, they noticed a middle-aged man and a young woman walking toward them, chatting amiably. "I don't know, sometimes I just wish I could have a normal life…" the woman was saying.

Dean figured they must be a father and daughter. When they caught sight of Dean and John, they stopped talking immediately. Dean might have imagined it, but he thought he saw the woman quickly hiding something in the inside of her leather coat. She was wearing tight jeans and had her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Looking into her face, Dean was surprised that he recognized the woman as the blonde from the bar the night before. He smiled at the pleasant surprise.

The older man, who was greying and wore glasses, looked at the woman quickly when he'd seen them, a question on his face, but the woman shook her head after casting them a suspicious gaze. The man visibly relaxed and then set his face in a blank expression.

"Good evening, gentleman," the older man said, even though it was well after midnight. "I'm surprised to find anyone else out here at this hour." There was a hint of question in his voice, which had a strong English accent; he was wondering what they were doing there. Dean was wondering the same thing about them. Who visits a cemetery at this hour, besides hunters? _Surely these two aren't hunters?_ he thought to himself. He dismissed the idea immediately, studying the two of them. The older man looked more like a librarian in his tweed jacket and slacks, and the woman, practically still a girl barely old enough to drink, looked like she wouldn't be able to take on a racecar dummy, let alone a monster. She was a good foot shorter than Dean, and more gorgeous than he'd realized the night before. He shook his head; he was getting distracted. _Although,_ he thought idly, _I wouldn't mind being thoroughly distracted by this chick._

"Yeah, well," John said, "my son and I were on a road trip, and we wanted to make sure to stop by and visit an old friend while we were in the area." John pointed idly to the tombstone they'd been standing near when they heard the two of them. Dean was smiling at the woman, eyeing her. She narrowed her eyes at him when she noticed; she didn't appreciate the look he was giving her. He had to stop himself from laughing at her disapproval, which made her look even more cute.

"Ah, I see," the older man said. "We are doing something similar. My sister is buried nearby, and we have a tradition of visiting her grave at midnight on her birthday." Dean looked at the man. It was an odd excuse to be here, but not impossible, and the man said it so matter-of-factly that Dean found himself wanting to believe the man; if it weren't for the look the blonde had cast him at his explanation. She was trying to look like this wasn't a surprise, but didn't do it very well. John saw it too, his eyes narrowing barely enough to be noticeable.

The girl was looking at the two of them closely; she looked as though she was sizing them up. When she visibly relaxed, Dean figured she must have decided they weren't a threat. If the situation wasn't so suspicious, Dean would consider asking her out for a drink; plus if they really were here to visit a lost loved one, it would probably come across as in bad taste, especially since they were supposed to be there for the same reason.

"Well, then," the Englishman said, "We'll leave you to it, and I'm sorry for your loss."

"You too," John said simply. The two walked away, the blonde looking back over her shoulder and catching Dean's eye as he watched her. He noticed that she smiled very slightly when their eyes met, but then she turned back around walked away from them with her father. Suddenly, Dean _did_ regret not asking her out, regardless of the situation; she was damn intriguing, and god knew he loved a challenge.

Once they were out of sight, John retrieved their shovels from behind the tree, handing Dean his. "Eyes forward, Dean," he said, noticing that Dean was smiling slightly still looking after the girl. "Don't get distracted by a pretty face while on the job."

Frowning at his father, he turned and they continued walking toward the Tiedemann family plot to finish their hunt. Suddenly, Dean wished he could stay in Cleveland one extra day, if only to find that girl again.


	2. Chapter 1

PART I:  
 _Saving People, Slaying Things_

Chapter 1

2018  
Cleveland, OH  
E 18th Street

"Dr. Gates said to speak with you about getting a referral for addiction counseling for my daughter?" the client asked Buffy. The woman looked like she'd had a bad few weeks, her dark brown hair tied back in a messy bun and bags under her eyes.

Buffy nodded to her, typing into her computer quickly, "Of course." She pulled up the information she needed: one of the addiction support firms that her agency worked with. She quickly printed out the information and handed it to the woman. The client thanked her graciously and then scheduled her next appointment with the councilor here and left quietly. Buffy could tell that the woman was struggling, as were most of the people that came into her office.

The Cleveland Counseling Agency where Buffy worked, was a small non-profit that focused on helping the people of inner-city Cleveland get back on their feet. They provided referrals, legal advice, counseling, and even job training to a point. Unfortunately, the staff were often over-taxed, not getting the funding that they needed from the city, and Buffy didn't make a lot of money. But she liked her job; it gave her a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that she was helping these people in a way that didn't involve killing monsters.

Her desk, which sat in the waiting room of their small offices, was cluttered, papers everywhere and a small plastic flower that swayed when exposed to light. She had a small box hidden in one of her drawers that held a knife, holy water, and a stake, among other things – just in case. She'd never needed any of these things at work, but her many years as a slayer had taught her to be cautious no matter how safe you think you are… Especially on a hellmouth.

Not that her time spent at the Agency had been all peaches and cream. There was an incident just the previous week where a woman had come in with her husband, angry and slightly panicked.

 _The man was clearly strung out on something, though Buffy had no idea what. His wife was demanding to speak with a counselor and wouldn't accept that both counselors were currently in session with other clients. Buffy had tried to recommend that she take her husband to the hospital to help get him cleaned up. She yelled at Buffy that they had no health insurance and couldn't afford to go to a hospital._

 _"_ _Besides," she had said angrily, "How do I know that those white-collar assholes won't call the cops on him! That's the last thing he needs!" Buffy wanted to say that she could easily call the cops herself, but she preferred to avoid police whenever she could – hazards of being a slayer, plus distrust of officials of any kind had been built on her part after fighting on the front lines for so many years. And it was the unofficial policy of the agency to help people and not report them as long as no one was in immediate danger. They didn't want their agency to gain a reputation of having people arrested who'd come to them for help._

 _When the woman refused to listen to Buffy anymore, she'd instead tried to barge into Dr. Gates' office. Buffy made a move to stop the woman, when her husband, who up until this point had been sitting in a chair staring at his hand, suddenly stood up and ran at Buffy screaming "Don't you dare touch her!" Buffy had had to move quickly out of the man's path, which resulted in him barreling head first into Dr. Gates' office door. He collapsed in a pile on the floor, but stood up quickly, swaying slightly. His eyes refocused on Buffy and he ran at her again, when Dr. Gates's door flew open. She stood in the doorway, seeing the scene playing out before her. Her client, who stood behind her and was trying to look over her shoulder, was obviously scared._

 _Buffy again moved out of the path of the man, but grabbed his arm this time as he passed. She twisted his arm behind him, holding it tightly behind his back. His wife was now crying and screaming at Buffy to release her husband, trying to hit her with her purse. Buffy sighed, letting the woman continue to assault her, but she held on to the man, who was struggling against Buffy's hold._

 _"_ _The police are on their way," Dr. Gates' voice came from behind Buffy. "We don't tolerate violence against our staff here. We will assist you in getting any help that you need, but I'm going to need you to stop attacking my assistant." She didn't seem particularly perturbed by the woman badgering Buffy, or Buffy's handling of the man; she'd seen Buffy handle herself in situations like this before and knew that Buffy was more than she appeared._

 _Finally, at Dr. Gates' calm words, the woman stopped hitting Buffy with her purse. The man stopped fighting Buffy, realizing that he wasn't going to break her hold on him and he relaxed._

 _"_ _If I let you go, are you going to attack me again?" she asked him. He shook his head and his wife said she promised he wouldn't. Slowly, Buffy released him, and the man collapsed on the floor, rubbing his shoulder. He sat cross-legged on the ground and stared into space, clearly still under the influence of whatever he'd taken despite his violence moments before._ Drugs are a hell of a drug _, Buffy mused. Eventually, a pair of cops showed up, arresting the man, though Buffy promised that she wouldn't be pressing charges, and the cops said they were probably going to put him in the drunk tank until he cleaned up. Dr. Gates gave his wife her card and promised she would help however she could, if she called her when her husband was released._

Looking up at the clock, it was almost 5pm and she would hopefully be able to go home soon. She wondered idly how different her life would be if she'd made other choices in her past – or would she still be in this place, helping people just live their lives? What if she'd finished college? What if she hadn't destroyed Sunnydale all those years ago? What if she hadn't awoken the potentials to become slayers? What if she hadn't led a slayer army for over 10 years before stepping down and "retiring?"

The retirement is what plagued her the most – she wasn't sure if any of the others were really within her control. She'd given up her mantel as "Slayer General" about 3 years ago to her Second-in-Command, Maggie. Obviously, she would have preferred Faith, but that simply wasn't an option – and even if it had been, she wasn't sure that Faith would have accepted it.

The Slayer Organization was still headquartered in Cleveland, though at this point, very few fully trained slayers still lived here. Their organization had ties all over the world, most clustered in hellmouth cities like Cleveland. Her friends were still around of course, and Giles, Maggie, Andrew, and Xander were training the next generation of slayers and watchers back at HQ. For the most part however, the Slayer Organization didn't worry too much about Cleveland. Between Buffy and Willow, they had it covered, and at this point most monsters (with any intelligence) avoided the city. Buffy spoke to the Slayer Org every few days just to check-in, but the check-ins were happening further and further apart the longer she stayed in retirement.

The team at HQ had everything under control and she trusted them completely. She did miss getting a stipend from them every week, which had led her to getting this job. Giles had told her he could still support her, but she had wanted to see if she could live a real life and make money on her own for once. Not that the money the Slayer Org had given her had come without work. 12 years leading those women had been some of the hardest of her life. And the loneliest. And while the Slayer Org had a lot of resources – money among them – those resources weren't endless. And Buffy worried about what would happen when the money ran out, even if that was years off. When Giles had become the last surviving watcher after the attack by the First, he (and Buffy) had inherited more money than Buffy could have believed, thanks to the Watcher's Council.

But still, eventually they would have to start taking in money, instead of just spending it, and they hadn't quite figured out how to do that yet. The best they could do at the moment was to use a couple of damn smart slayers who had accounting degrees running their books and managing investments in the stock market. Slayers with degrees… that wouldn't have even been possible 15 years ago. Her attempted tenure at UCSD was proof of that.

So Buffy had gotten a job, and she was happy with it despite the low salary. But she lived alone with no one to care for, so she was OK with that. Looking up, she saw that it was now 5:10, but unfortunately, their last client hadn't left yet. Getting up, she flipped the "open" sign to "closed" and locked the door. She could unlock it to let their client out when he was ready to leave, which turned out to only be another 5 minutes. She had to do a bit of paperwork with him before he left, but that didn't take long and she was soon turning out the lights and saying goodnight to Dr. Elizabeth Gates, her supervisor. Dr. Gates was way too smart to be working in a place like this; she could have been working at an expensive therapists office if she'd wanted to, but like Buffy, she wanted to help people who didn't have the means that other folks did. So she worked here, making far less than she was worth. Buffy loved her supervisor.

She took the bus back to her small apartment near the airport. The bus was crowded and noisy and she put in her headphones, listening to Lady Gaga, rocking her head to the music as she looked out the window. It was a cold night and it was already getting dark out. As Buffy exited the bus, she left her earphones in and walked the block to her apartment. It wasn't the nicest of neighborhoods, but she'd seen far worse in her time and she wasn't really worried for her safety.

Her building had no door man and she checked her mailbox quickly, only finding an ad for a local politician up for re-election, before she went up to the third floor. Unlocking her door, she closed it behind her and kicked her shoes off. Her apartment was small, only a few rooms, but it had all she needed; kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room. Faith would have called it "Spartan." She had no plans for the night, and she considered going to the nearby cemetery to patrol before turning in. She hadn't made up her mind as she made herself some leftover pasta for dinner, when she got a text from Dawn. Buffy quickly texted her back, missing her sister who she hadn't seen in a few weeks.

 _ **[Dawnie]** hey, sis. Just checking in. anything new?_

[ ** _Buffy]_** nah, _just working and patrolling. Same old same old. How've you been? How's Aaron, still sick?_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _no he's OK. We've been discovering the joys of potty training though… When did this become my life?_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _LOL You were the one who wanted a kid. I told you to get a puppy_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _jk I love the little man. I feel like I haven't seen any of you in ages though. We should hang_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _aren't you going to Rose's birthday party? That's on Saturday, isn't it?_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _OMG I almost forgot! I can't believe she's 4 already! I guess I should probably get her a gift… oops_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _if you haven't gotten her anything yet, you wanna go in on something with me? I might have put off getting her something too. What do you get a four year old?_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _You know me, I always say clothes, but yea, we can go in on something. I'm sure Willow would love for us to get her more clothes for her to destroy LOL_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _Deal. I'll see you on Saturday, looking forward to it._

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _But you're right, we don't hang enough. We'll make plans soon. Just the two of us. Maybe shopping before the pastry?_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _Party* Damnyouautocorrect!_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _Perfect, I'll see you before the pastry then… :-P_

[ ** _Buffy]_** _Lol. Love you, dawnie._

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _love you too sis :-*_

Buffy smiled to herself, proud of her sister. Dawn and her husband Elliot were wonderful parents to their 2 year old son, Aaron. Sometimes Buffy couldn't believe how much her little sister had grown up and, in many ways, surpassed Buffy. Dawn was settled, had a house, husband, and child. She'd gone away and gotten her degrees from Oxford in her early 20s, thanks to a glowing recommendation from Giles. But she hadn't strayed from what was, apparently, family business. Dawn's Ph.D. was in paranormal studies and she worked closely with Giles, practically a watcher herself, though if you called her that she'd scoff. Elliot, surprisingly, was a civilian who worked as a history professor at Cuyahoga Community College. He was a few years older than Dawn, closer to Buffy's age, but he was a huge history nerd, loving his chosen field, and he loved Dawn and their son unconditionally. That much was very clear and Buffy loved him for it.

Dawn was often trying to get Buffy to join dating sites and go out for drinks so she could meet someone too. She wanted her sister to be happy and she thought that dating would help that. But Dawn seemed to miss the point that Buffy was happy. Mostly. She loved her job (both of them), she loved her friends; she was just a little lonely. And besides, Buffy wasn't sure that she was ever going to find "Mr. Right" anyway. She was pretty sure Angel still held that spot for her, and probably always would. Buffy had accepted that. And she was OK with it.

Buffy plopped down on the worn leather couch that sat in her living room and started scrolling through her Netflix queue. A coworker had recently recommended "The OA" and Buffy had watched a few episodes, and while it was intriguing, it was majorly weird. She couldn't seem to stop watching it though, so she turned on the next episode, digging in to her pasta. She still hadn't decided if she was going to go patrolling or not.

She found her mind wandering as she ate, and she wondered why she'd been left behind on the relationship front. Willow and Billie were happily discussing adopting another child now that Rose had started Pre-K. Dawn and Elliot were very happy with their lives, since they'd gotten married 5 years ago. Xander was in a long-term relationship with a slayer named Annie and they had recently moved in together after having been together for over 4 years. Buffy suspected it wouldn't be long until they were ready to settle down too. Even Giles was seeing someone… not that Buffy or any of the Scoobies had met the woman. Buffy strongly suspected that Giles wasn't telling her the truth about what he did for a living; which only meant it was going to end horribly. All of the Scoobies (excluding Giles, apparently) had figured out a long time ago that being honest about who they were and what they did was vital to being in a stable relationship.

Shaking herself a bit from this line a thinking, she refocused on the show, but she'd lost track of what was happening and was now completely lost. _Are they learning an interpretive dance?_ She'd have to rewatch it. Not wanting to do that now, she turned the show off and decided she would go patrolling after all. She got up, changed her clothes into something a bit more fighty, and put on some sneakers and a jacket.

Unfortunately, she had a disappointing night – not a single demon, monster, or vamp in sight. She'd wandered in the cemetery for almost two hours, before checking out the nearby streets hoping to at least find something. She finally groaned to herself and gave it up as a bad job. This had been happening more and more lately – monsters were moving out of Cleveland because of her and the Slayer Org, despite their natural draw to the hellmouth.

She shuffled back to the apartment, like the zombie she would've liked to slay, and got ready for bed, more frustrated than when she'd gone out. It was after midnight now, but Buffy wasn't sure if she was going to sleep much; her thoughts plaguing her. Eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep.

XXXX

Saturday came around and Dawn had bought a few toys for Rose, while Buffy had had some fun picking out clothes for the little girl. They'd spent the morning shopping, with Aaron kicking happily in his stroller. It had felt really good to catch up with her sister, and she was really looking forward to seeing her friends that afternoon. Except Giles of course; he was always invited, but rarely actually came to any parties – especially parties for little kids, which didn't seem to be his idea of fun. _Whatever_ , Buffy thought, _his loss._

At noon, they went back to Dawn's so that she could put Aaron down for a nap before the party, which was at 2. Dawn and Buffy enjoyed a few glasses of wine and chatted about work. Dawn had been working on some monster research or other with Giles while Xander and Annie were training some new teen slayers they'd recently taken in.

They laughed as they chatted and wrapped the gifts, and at 1:30, Dawn woke up her crabby toddler from his nap so they could get going to the party. Aaron cried grumpily until Dawn told him that there would be cake soon at which point he stopped crying immediately and sat up, saying "CAKE!"

Buffy laughed and shook her head at her nephew as they bundled him up and got him into his car seat. While Buffy technically _could_ drive, she still didn't like to, so Dawn drove them all to the party. Elliot would be meeting them there as he'd been hanging out with some friends that morning. They were some of the first to arrive and when Aaron saw Rose, he quickly perked up and ran to her, hugging his "cousin." Buffy and Dawn laughed as they greeted Willow and Billie in the living room, hugging them both.

Willow's red hair hung straight and long down her back, whereas Billie preferred a pixie cut for her Auburn hair. Billie was dressed in her usual jeans and a nerdy t-shirt (Buffy recognized the blue phone booth, but couldn't remember what show it was in reference to), whereas Willow was sporting a long, purple, linen dress, that gave one the impression that Willow was floating slightly (which wasn't out of the realm of possibilities). Willow quickly got them some drinks and they settled in as people started to arrive.

Buffy didn't know most of the guests, but a few she recognized as witches from the coven that Willow was now the leader of and a few of their children, ranging in ages from 6 months to 9 years. It turned out that most of the other guests were parents and children from Rose's Pre-K class. Rose excitedly played with her friends, leaving little Aaron, who was younger than most of the other kids, alone with some crayons and paper. He was grumpy at being left out, but Buffy happily started coloring with him.

Elliot, Xander, and Annie arrived all at once; Xander sporting his usual eye patch and a leather jacket that Buffy thought must be new – making him look more like a pirate than ever. Annie, a beautiful black woman in her early 30's greeted Buffy like someone greeting an old boss that they weren't sure they liked. She was friendly enough, but when she hugged her, it seemed stiff and forced to Buffy. Buffy assumed that it was because she, like most of the slayers, still considered her the "Slayer General" even if she wasn't anymore.

The party proceeded with the kids playing lots of games and the adults mostly hanging out in the living room and chatting. As expected, Giles texted Willow shortly after the party started, apologizing for not being able to make it. Willow rolled her eyes at this, having been expecting it. Billie laughed at the watcher, wondering aloud if he really thought he was fooling anyone.

A few of the members of the coven asked Willow if they could put on a magic show for the kids, but Willow was hesitant with the amount of civilians in the room. Dawn, Annie, and Buffy however, encouraged it as most of the adults would just assume they were "tricks" instead of real magic, so Willow consented. The magic show was a huge success with some of the tricks truly baffling the guests, kids and adults alike. The other members of the coven, and the guests who knew what was really happening laughed at everyone's reactions. A few of the parents asked if the coven members would be willing to come to their own kids' parties and put on a "show." The coven members politely declined.

Presents and cake soon appeared and Rose gleefully laughed as she ripped open her presents, with Aaron's help, who'd only recently started figuring out that ripping wrapping paper was fun. The chocolate cake had been baked by Billie and ended up more on the faces than in the mouths of the kids. When the kids started playing hide-and-go-seek, Xander and Annie turned to the other Scoobies.

"So, we have an announcement," he said.

"I figured you might," Dawn grinned, eyeing Annie. Buffy followed Dawn's eyes and noticed that they were on Annie's left hand, which was currently clasped in Xander's.

"Xander proposed!" Annie finally burst out, letting go of Xander's hand and waving her own in front of the others. A large diamond ring was sitting on her finger and the couple beamed as everyone stood up in exclamation and surprise.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" rang through the room as everyone took turns hugging them.

Buffy hugged Xander tightly, saying "I'm so happy for you, Xand. You two are amazing together. I love you!"

"Thanks Buff," he said back, pulling back from her hug and smiling at her. Buffy moved to hug Annie, and this time the hug seemed happy and genuine; Buffy truly likely Annie. She was a skilled slayer and an extremely intelligent woman. She'd been in high school in southern Connecticut when she'd discovered she was a slayer; she'd been in advanced placement classes and had been getting college credit from a local university. When the Scoobies found her, she'd opted to go to college before training to become a slayer, eventually getting a BS in Chemistry and an MS in Forensic Science in only 4 years.

After she'd gotten her degrees, she moved to Cleveland to train with Buffy and Faith. She'd moved up in the ranks quickly, mastering mixed martial arts and archery in practically no time. If she'd wanted it, she could have been Buffy's second, but she had no interest in leading; she wanted to work, fight, and help. Xander was a lucky man, and they all knew it. Of course, if you asked Annie, she would say that he was too good for her. She had a self-depreciating manner that would be endearing, if it wasn't so misplaced.

Annie smiled back at Buffy, but her eyes held a hint of panic as she looked at her. She whispered, "This is OK, right?"

Buffy blinked in surprise, "Of course! Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know, aren't slayers supposed to be loners, or something?"

Buffy groaned internally, "Maybe in the old days, but once I took over – screw that. You do what you want, Annie. And I know you make Xander happy, and I think he makes you happy. You deserve each other."

Annie smiled at her again, looking relieved, "Thank you Buffy, that really means a lot."

Buffy nodded and they all sat back down. Dawn demanded to know how Xander proposed and they launched into the story. Buffy listened with interest as Xander described a fun and romantic evening out with his now fiancée, involving bowling, dinner, and a moonlight stroll. The three couples around Buffy were clearly happy and content with their lives. Buffy was happy for them, but was once again feeling a bit left behind. Xander was now engaged. Both Willow and Dawn were married with kids. Even Giles was in a relationship, even if it was doomed.

They all had such regular lives, despite their irregular careers. Wasn't that what she'd wanted? A normal life? She'd been so desperate to get away from being "Slayer General" because it was lonely, and chaotic, and violent. But where was she now? Living a relatively normal life, and yet still alone – just as secluded as she'd been at HQ. Her friends had families, the slayers still saw her as a legend to be admired and feared… and her coworkers? They were nice to her, but she kept them at a distance because she didn't want them to end up as collateral damage in her supernatural war. She had that normal life that she'd been so hopeful for, but nothing had really changed. Except now, instead of being lonely and busy, she was lonely and bored. Had it been worth it?

Buffy plastered on a happy face, listening and laughing with the others, but in the back of her mind, she felt more lonely than ever. Xander and Annie would no doubt be going into wedding planning mode soon and Buffy would continue to live her life in her small apartment by herself. She'd go to work, she'd go home. She'd eat dinner and watch Netflix. She'd patrol and kill monsters (when she found them anyway). Was that really her life? Maybe Dawn was right, maybe Buffy should be trying to find someone, if only to alleviate the monotony and boredom. It'd been almost a year since she'd even gone on a date, let alone actually been intimate with anyone.

After the party had broken up, Dawn dropped Buffy off at home. Buffy hugged her sister and brother-in-law before kissing her nephew on the cheek to say goodbye. Walking into her apartment, she looked around. It looked the same as usual, but it felt at the same time both too small and too big. She wondered why Xander announcing his engagement was hitting her like this, it's not like she hadn't known it was coming – they'd been together for over 4 years.

Buffy felt frustrated and decided she wanted to kill something. She picked up a stake and was about to put the jacket that she'd just taken off back on, before she realized that it was still light outside and any monsters probably wouldn't be out yet. She growled to herself softly and then went into the kitchen to see if she had any food. She pulled out some leftover Chinese and settled herself on the couch until the sun set, which shouldn't be too far off.

When the sun went down, which felt like hours to Buffy, she finally went out to patrol. She went to a different cemetery than the one she'd gone to the other day – one that's a little further away from her apartment and wasn't patrolled as frequently. It was a warm night, considering the season and she wandered aimlessly between the tombstones. There was a bright moon tonight, but it was over an hour before she finally found what she was looking for.

Two vampires were coming out of a mausoleum nearby, and she quickly ran up to them, staking the first one before they'd even noticed her.

"Slayer," the second growled, backing up when his friend went _poof_.

"What do you think?" she asked him. He looked at her confused, and she continued, "real fight or just be done with it?"

He flashed his fangs and rushed at her throwing his arms wide, as if to bear hug her, or maybe to tackle her to the ground. She easily ducked under his spread arms and staked him in the back. He exploded into dust. "Just be done with it, it is," she said to herself, dissatisfied. She could have easily knocked him down and maybe had a bit of a real fight, but the way he rushed at her meant that he had no clue how to really fight. So, it would have been extremely one-sided, which can sometimes be fun, but now it was just disappointing.

She made a face and continued on her way, looking for something more satisfying. Unfortunately, that was the most excitement she was going to get tonight and she wandered home feeling restless. In her dreams that night, she had gone to the movies and was alone in the theater. And the movie was predictable and boring.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Lebanon, KS  
Men of Letters Bunker

"Dude, 6 mummies in Cleveland."

Sam looked up from his laptop, surprised, "mummies? You're not serious?"

"Well, 6 bodies that appear mummified anyway. That's gotta be a case."

"We already have a case, Dean."

Dean sighed, looking at his brother. They hadn't left the bunker in over a week, except for supplies. Dean, Sam, Castiel, and Donatello had been hard at work trying to find ways into the other universe to save Mary and Jack. Donatello had been anxiously attempting to translate the demon tablet while the other three tried to stay out of his way. He'd been getting more cranky, if not downright rude in the time since he'd arrived. He'd taken to locking himself in a research lab, surrounded by books and papers. And fried chicken buckets.

While Donatello was working on his translations, Sam, Dean, and Cas were attempting to find out if there were any other possible ways into the universe that held their family. They'd been desperate to find a way through for months, but the lack of any new information and cabin fever was making Dean stir-crazy. He needed to go out and do something, so he'd started looking for a case only 10 minutes ago, quickly finding a promising lead in Cleveland.

"C'mon, man," Dean replied. "We've been at this for ages. I found a case – let's go work it."

Sam sighed too and got up, walking around the table to read the article that Dean had found:

 _ **6** **th** **Victim of Mummification Killer Discovered  
 _Cleveland_**_

 _The 6th known victim of the so-called "Mummification Killer" was just found in a downtown home, late Saturday night. Robert Washburn, 27, was found deceased in his bed after his wife called the police when she found her husband unconscious, apparently drained of all fluids. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Confirmed to be the 6th victim of the "Mummification Killer," police and the medical community are uncertain if this is the work of a new disease or a serial killer with unknown aims and resources._

 _The Chief of Police has urged the Cleveland community for calm while they continue their investigation. They have made public the apparent symptoms of the "killer" so the public can be on alert for new outbreaks. According to the police, all victims have been males between the ages of 25 and 40. They exhibited noticeable behavioral changes up to 2 weeks prior to death; loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, unexplained bruises, mood swings, mania, and compulsive, secretive, and addictive behavior. At the time of death, the victims have been found drained of all fluids, giving them a "mummification" appearance._

 _If you or anyone you know is exhibiting these or other unusual behaviors, police and the medical community recommend you reach out to the police and seek immediate medical assistance. Anyone with any information regarding the outbreak should contact the police immediately._

"You're right," Sam said. "That does sound like a case."

"Awesome, let's go," Dean stood up, happy to be doing something at last. They quickly gathered up some supplies and went to tell Cas and Donatello where they were going. Cas briefly inquired whether they wanted his help, but both men wanted him to keep an eye on Donatello, who had been behaving bizarrely recently (more than usual); and they didn't completely trust him due to his lack of soul.

Within less than an hour they were on the road, heading toward Ohio. It was early in the afternoon, and the sun was bright as they drove, inspiring Dean to lower his sun visor. He sang along to the radio while his brother alternated between watching him with amusement and staring out the window. Hours passed, and eventually it got dark. When Sam declared it time to stop for the night, they pulled into the first motel they could find, the Sunrise Inn, outside of Chicago. Checking in under the names Daniel and Michael Meers, they walked into a familiar looking room. They hadn't stayed in this motel before, but it looked like every other motel that they stayed in – run-down, dusty, 2 full-size beds that were always too short for the tall men. Dean pulled a draught from his flask before pulling out his gun to clean it before bed. He sat on the bed, which had a faded floral quilt, and took apart his gun. Sam simply got ready for bed by changing, brushing his teeth, and falling into the other bed. He laid diagonally so that his whole body fit on the bed. He never seemed to bother with covers and he was soon snoring. Dean chuckled to himself as he put his gun back together.

The next day, they arrived in Cleveland in the late afternoon. They decided to check out the bodies first, so they put on their FBI suits and grabbed some badges – this time opting to go with the CDC. They walked into the morgue, flashing their badges at the man sitting behind a desk. He led them to the morgue where the most recent victim and the one before that were still being held, though the autopsies had already been completed.

"Hello," Dean said, introducing himself to the mortician, "I'm Dean Elliot, this is my partner, Sam Collen, we're with the Center for Disease Control." They showed the woman their badges and she nodded.

"Here about the mummies?" she guessed.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean said smiling. Behind her a young woman, probably in her early 20's, was doing some paperwork. Looking up from her work, she grinned at the brothers.

"My assistant Dana can show you the bodies and she should be able to answer any questions you may have, I'm afraid I have to run to an appointment, forgive me gentlemen," the mortician nodded and left through the double doors.

The morgue was bright and sterile, a faint smell of bleach in the air. Dean looked over at Dana who was now watching Sam and Dean with interest. She shuffled some papers and then stood up. She had long dark brown hair and a figure that Dean associated with Victoria's Secret models. Unfortunately, that body was currently hidden under several layers of clothing, including nurse's scrubs. Her hair was in a high, tight ponytail, and she swayed as she led them into the autopsy room.

Dean couldn't help but watch her from behind, enjoying the view. Going to the refrigerator where the bodies were kept, she opened a door, pulling out the first body. She then pulled out the second body as well. When Dean finally looked away from the nurse, he grimaced at the look of the bodies. It was hard to tell how old the men had been, as they did in fact, look slightly mummified. Sam began to examine the first body while Dana looked on. She was watching the boys with an amused grin on her face, looking from one to the other and back again. She seemed to have no aversion to being in the presence of dead bodies – even ones as grotesque as these. Working in a morgue had likely desensitized her.

Dean found it hard to concentrate on the bodies with Dana looking at him.

"So, what's the current theory?" Sam asked.

"The general consensus seems to be some unknown disease. A few people think that there's a serial killer out there who's stalking people and slowly poisoning them, but that sounds just ludicrous to me. If you want to kill someone, just kill someone – why make them go crazy first?" Dana said.

"So you're leaning more toward the disease theory, I take it?" Dean asked.

"No, actually," she smiled at Dean as she said it. He thought he might have imagined it, but he thought his stomach did a small flip when she spoke to him. "If you ask me, these guys drank, drugged, and partied themselves to death. Most of them were definitely having affairs."

That made sense, Dean thought. If these men were on a new drug, that would explain the behavioral changes, then causing some sort of overdose resulting in their deaths. Maybe this wasn't their type of case after all. Dean founding himself nodding at the woman's words. She really was beautiful.

"That makes a lot of sense," Sam said, speaking Dean's thoughts. "Have their toxicology reports come back?"

"Oh yeah," Dana said. "They all had all sorts of toxins in their systems – part of their partying, I suspect." The Winchester's both nodded. They looked at each other, both coming to the same conclusion – this wasn't a case. "Do you boys need anything else?"

"No, I think we're good," Dean said. Then he smiled, "although, if you're at all interested – "

Dana cut him off, looking at Sam, "Would you like to have a drink with me, Mr. Collen? Can I call you Sam?" Dean's smile slid off his face as he stared from Dana to Sam. He had been just about to ask this girl out, but instead she asked out Sam. What was going on here? That's not how these things worked. Dana smiled at Dean and he found his confusion fading away, although the jealousy was still present. "You don't mind if I take him out, do you Mr. Elliot?"

He couldn't help it, his lips quirked up as he looked into this amazing woman's eyes. "No, of course not."

"Why don't you go home? We'll be OK on our own. And try to think positively, Dean," she winked at Sam, who was smirking drunkenly, nodding at everything Dana said. Dean bobbed his head up and down in the affirmative and turned to leave. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dana take Sam's hand and lean in to kiss his cheek. Sam giggled like a little school girl. _Pansy_.

Dean laughed at his brother as he roared his baby up to life. Dana was right, Dean mused, he was too negative. Not bogged down by dark thoughts, he enjoyed the sound of the music and the rumble of the engine as he drove. And before he even realized it, he was pulling into the parking lot of the motel, Led Zeppelin blaring as he sang along. Dean was still a bit jealous, but Sammy deserved this. He was happy for his brother. Dean was in a good mood as he pulled a beer out of the cooler and went into their room.

Drinking his beer, and watching Pay-Per-View, Dean's mood slowly started to drop despite the movie. About halfway through "A Fistful of Dollars," he started thinking about what had happened in the morgue. Sam never went out on dates, no matter how beautiful the woman was. And Dana. Something was off about her. Dean shook his head, trying to clear out what appeared to be a fog on his thoughts. A bunch of men became mummies because they partied too hard? He'd believed that? That made absolutely no sense. Something was wrong. Jumping up, Dean realized that that woman couldn't be human. She had brainwashed him somehow.

Dean pulled out his phone, urgently dialing Sam. The phone went to voicemail and Dean called again. Voicemail. Changing apps, Dean quickly tracked Sam via the GPS on his phone. He was at a bar called "Robbie's Pub." Dean grabbed his gun from the table and flew to his car. He tore out of the parking lot and drove the short distance to the Pub as fast as he could. If this woman was up to something, and she wanted Sam, it could be for nothing good. Dean put his foot down, remembering the sway that the woman had over Dean. He could only assume that she had the same effect on Sam.

Trying to figure out what had happened, Dean could only assume that the woman had Jedi Mind-Tricked them somehow, and it had only just worn off. Was that because he was out of her range? Or maybe because enough time had passed? Both? He arrived at the bar, quickly putting Baby in park, and ran to the entrance. He was more convinced by the minute that Sam was in danger. He burst through the door of the bar, earning himself a couple of dirty looks from a couple of dirty patrons.

Looking around, there were a few people at the bar and a few more at tables. The TV over the bar was showing a college football game, where one side was losing horribly. There were a few people playing pool nearby. Looking into the back corner of the bar, he caught a glimpse of a couple making out passionately, making everyone nearby uncomfortable, including Dean.

"Gross," he muttered to himself before he realized that it was Sam and Dana. Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong. Sam didn't go for public displays of affection. Dean walked over to them, trying to remain calm. Maybe he could just get Sam out of here without endangering himself, Sam, or any civilians.

"OK, Sammy. Time to go," Dean said when he stopped in front of their table.

Sam and Dana broke apart. The woman had her arms around Sam's neck, and kept them there as he turned to address his brother. She smirked at Dean.

"Problem, Dean?" she asked before Sam could say anything.

"Dean, what are you doing here? I thought you were going back to the motel?" Sam asked, sounding completely confused.

"She's brainwashing you, Sammy! She's not human," Dean tried to explain before Dana could say anything else. He eyed her distrustfully, and she pouted at him. Her full lips pursing and her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowing. She truly was beautiful. _Focus!_ Dean scolded himself.

"Sammy," she whined. "You don't really believe this, do you? We were just having fun. I think your brother might be jealous." She spoke in sing-song voice, her eyes sparkling at Dean. He blinked, the feeling of jealousy rising in him quickly. In the back of his mind, he wondered how she had known they were brothers. Had Sam blown their cover? And how could this goddess choose Sam over Dean? It wasn't right – it wasn't fair!

Sam growled at Dean, "Go home, Dean."

Dean grabbed Sam by the collar, pulling him away from Dana and the table. Several glasses that were on the table were knocked over and crashed to the floor, breaking when Sam jostled the booth. Several nearby bar patrons glanced over, but quickly moved away from the boys when they saw the offensive way they were both standing. Sam wind-milled his arms, forcing Dean's hands off of him. His brother looked into his eyes.

"He's jealous, Sam. He's going to try to take me away from you," Dana said. Dean felt the envy inside of him spike again. He did want to take Dana away from Sam. Sam didn't deserve a woman like her. Before Dean could do anything though, Sam punched his brother in the face and Dean briefly saw stars before he saw red. He took the blow, stumbling a step back. His head whipped harshly to the right, cricking his neck. He turned back and regained his footing.

He punched his brother in return, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dana's perfect smile. Dean started to throw another punch, but Sam recovered too quickly and blocked it, catching his fist and spinning Dean around, pushing him into their table. Dana stood up and whispered to Dean, "Are you going to let him take you like that?" Dean growled and spun, tackling Sam through the back door of the pub. They fell into the back alley, and Sam pushed Dean off of him.

They both stood up quickly and Sam pulled a knife out of god-knows-where and threw it at Dean, who barely got out of the way in time. The knife clattered into the wall behind Dean and fell to the ground. Dana had followed them outside, still looking perfectly content.

"Dana, get back inside!" Sam shouted at her as he pulled out another knife. Dean grabbed a garbage can lid and used it as a shield as Sam threw the second one. Tossing the lid aside, Dean rushed to close the distance between them so Sam couldn't throw any more. He punched Sam in the gut, causing him to fold in half, holding his stomach. Dean followed up the punch with a kick to the side of the leg, buckling his knee and forcing him to the ground. Sam quickly regained his footing though, and swept his leg around, knocking Dean's feet out from under him. He hit the ground with a thud, the breath knocked out of him. Sam quickly kicked him in the side, forcing him into a fetal position. Sam aimed to position another kick, but Dean caught his leg and using Sam's momentum from the kick, threw Sam over him and into the wall of the bar. He landed with a _crunch_ , falling into several garbage bags.

As Dean rolled to regain his footing, Dean noticed a short blonde woman standing in the doorway back into the bar. She appeared to be watching the fight, looking confused. What was she doing there? Sam grunted after hitting the wall, but rolled over and was on his feet in seconds. Dean was back up just as quickly. They squared off and Dean sensed Sam reaching for his gun. Dean did the same when Dana spoke up.

"Boys, as much as I'm enjoying watching this show of masculinity, I'm getting a bit bored," Dana said.

They both immediately forgot their fight and tried to rush to her, concern on both of their faces. Dean reached Dana first and Sam raised a fist to hit Dean again. Dana raised her hand, effectively stopping Sam in his tracks. Sam started to say something, but Dana then raised her hand further, placing a finger on his lips. She turned to Dean, practically purring, "Dean, darling, don't you think this is all a little much? Sam and I were happy. I'm not sure why you felt the need to ruin that?"

"I'm sorry, Dana," he said sincerely. Why _had_ he started this fight? He couldn't remember. He should be supporting his brother, not hurting him. He looked around, taking into account the alley they were all standing in. Dana deserved better than this filthy dark place. In a sign of good faith, he reached down and picked up one of the knives that Sam had thrown and handed it back to him. He noticed the blonde that had been watching them was looking more confused than ever. Her arms were folded and her eyebrows raised. She appeared to slowly be reaching for something in an inside pocket.

Dana smiled at Dean, placing a hand on his cheek; he immediately forgot about the blonde. His face felt immediately warmer and he knew that this woman was wise in her words, no matter what she said. "Sam and I were looking for some alone time, Dean. I promise you, we're both OK. You should go straight home, and I don't mean the motel. Don't think, just drive. Sam will be back with you soon, I promise." Dean nodded, placing a hand over hers, looking into her eyes – god, they were beautiful: big and dark green with a hint of grey around the irises. She was right of course. He should support Dana and her choices, even if he didn't understand them.

"I'll go, but I'll miss you," he said to her, still holding her hand on his cheek. She smiled back at him and reached up on tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. The spot her lips had touched burned and he ached for further contact. But he knew she was right. He would go and wait for Sam to come home. "See you later, Sammy, take good care of her for me." Sam nodded and Dean turned away.

Behind him, Dean heard Sam approach Dana but then an unfamiliar voice said, "Oh, I don't think so!" There was a thud and a grunt and Dean spun around to see Dana crumpled against the wall. She was shaking her head, trying to clear it and Dean immediately felt rage rising in his chest.

The blonde that he'd noticed watching them before had evidently punched Dana in the face. One thought hit him hard - how dare she hurt Dana! Both he and Sam started toward the blonde, ready to protect Dana at all costs. Dean fingered his gun behind his back, noticing that Sam appeared to be doing the same thing. He didn't want to shoot this woman, but he would if he had to. He was watching the blonde angrily, suspiciously, unsure what to make of her. Studying her more closely, Dean vaguely thought she looked familiar, but couldn't figure out why. But she must be strong, as Dana was several feet away from where she'd been standing only seconds before.

"Take. Her. Down." Dana told them both angrily, still on the ground. She had pure vitriol in her voice. Sam and Dean unquestioningly pulled out their guns on the newcomer. The blonde's eyes widened and she stared from them to Dana and back again. She shook her head, blinking a bit, but then she ran over to Dana and punched her again – knocking her out cold. Dean immediately felt the fog on his mind lifting. What the hell was that siren? And who the hell was this woman?

Had she really knocked Dana out in only 2 punches? How had a little slip of a girl like this managed that? This girl had to be over a foot shorter than Dean! How was any of this possible? Was this woman not human either?

She turned to the brothers, "Are you two amateurs going to continue fighting, or has her thrall worn off?" the blonde asked. Dana began to stir, and Dean immediately felt concern for her rising. The blonde woman quickly punched her a third time.

"We need to get out of here, before she wakes up again," she said quickly to the boys.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Cleveland, OH  
Thurman Avenue

A week had passed since Rose's birthday party, and Buffy was still feeling discontent with her life. She'd reached out to the Slayer Org, to see if maybe they had something that she could take down, but all was quiet on the hellmouth front. Giles had actually told her to "relax" and "enjoy her quiet life." That's what she'd wanted for so long, after all.

She tried to dive into her other work at the Agency, but things seemed quiet there too. Paperwork and phone calls were no longer enough to hold her attention. Her fingers were itching to take down some big bad. Was this what would finally kill her (again) – sheer boredom?

She'd been talking to Dawn more often since the party, which gave her at least a small sense of belonging. Xander was too wrapped up with Annie, and Willow was too busy with the coven to respond to her calls or texts very frequently. She'd actually even volunteered to babysit one night so Dawn and Elliot could go out to dinner. While she wasn't great with children, she did love her nephew and this allowed her to break up the monotony.

"Auntie Bubby!" Aaron had shouted when he'd seen her walking into the house. He ran to her and raised his arms so she would pick him up. She obliged, lifting him and hugging him tightly before kissing him on the cheek. He giggled and squirmed trying to get away from her kiss.

"It's _Buffy_ ," she told him slowly, emphasizing the "f" sound. He'd been struggling to say that consonant, and it was frustrating that he still couldn't properly say her name. Still, she had to admit that it was adorable. He started shifting his weight, clearly wanting to be put back down again.

She placed him on the floor and he ran off into the bedroom where Dawn and Elliot were getting ready. The door was open and Buffy followed Aaron in. Dawn was dressed up, wearing a chiffon knee-length purple dress that looked stunning on her. Her long dark hair was flowing down her back in waves. Elliot was helping her put on a gold necklace with a bright amethyst that matched her dress. He was dressed in a charcoal suit – and looked very dashing.

"You look gorgeous, Dawnie," Buffy said when she saw her sister. "Must be quite the date you two have planned."

"Dawn," the brunette corrected her. Years earlier, she'd tried to shed the "Dawnie" nickname and she'd managed it with everyone but Buffy, who stubbornly insisted on continuing to call her that. Every once in a while, Dawn would try to correct Buffy on it again, but it never worked. "And thanks, it should be a good night!" She smiled at her older sister through the mirror she was facing.

"We don't exactly get out much anymore," Elliot laughed, moving Dawn's hair back in place now that the necklace was on. "Thought we would make it special. Thank you again for doing this."

"Any time," Buffy said cheerfully.

"We should get going, baby," Dawn told her husband. "We have 7:00 reservations."

"Hey, I'm ready to go – you're the one who had to make sure her jewelry and shoes matched her dress," Elliot countered.

"And it was worth it," Dawn grinned. She posed briefly to emphasize the point.

"Right, as usual," Elliot agreed.

These two were way too adorable for their own good. It would be precious if it wasn't so nauseating. Buffy chuckled. Elliot picked up his son, who'd been fussing around their knees for the last minute wanting to be carried, and they all headed toward the front door. Elliot kissed his son and then handed him to Buffy. He helped his wife put on her jacket and then Dawn also hugged and kissed Aaron from Buffy's arms. She thanked Buffy again and reminded her that they both had their cell phones on if she needed anything and that he was to be in bed by 8pm sharp.

"Okay, Mom," Buffy laughed, half hugging her sister, so as to not crush Aaron.

"We should be home by 11. Thanks Buff," Dawn said again.

"Go, get out of here," Buffy shooed them away. They made kissy faces at their son one last time and then left.

"OK, little man," Buffy said to her nephew. "Your mom said that we have half an hour to play, but nothing crazy, and then its story time and bed. How's that sound?"

"Thomas!" Aaron shouted as Buffy put him down. He'd recently gotten really into trains and had gotten a working Thomas the Train set for his birthday a few months earlier. She followed him to the play room and he quickly plopped himself down in front of the train track which ran throughout the room, as multiple Scoobies (and a few slayers who'd become close to Dawn) had bought them expansions. Buffy joined in with playing with the trains which kept him occupied for the full 30 minutes before Buffy announced that it was time to brush his teeth, go potty, and read a few stories before bed. He whined, but finally followed her to the bedroom, where she helped him change into his pajamas (Sesame Street).

When in the bathroom, Buffy unfortunately discovered that she had to change his diaper, which she really hated doing. She had been silently hoping that the potty training was going better. She'd been wrong. After years of dealing with demon blood and guts, one would think she could change a diaper without an issue. No such luck, sadly. She got him cleaned up, holding back her gag reflex, and then helped him brush his teeth. Apparently he had a "brushing your teeth" song that he insisted Buffy sing to him while he did so. Laughing, she tried her best, but when they were done, he complained that "Daddy sings it better."

She pulled him up on her lap, sitting in the old recliner that sat in his room and read him "The Giving Tree," which might have been a little over his head, but it'd been one of her favorites as a kid. He seemed to enjoy it and when done they moved on to "Goodnight iPad," which seemed to be a parody of "Goodnight Moon," that had Buffy laughing. She had started "Giraffes Can't Dance," when his eyes started to droop.

She gently picked him up and put him in his crib.

"Goodnight, munchkin," she said affectionately, kissing his forehead. She pulled a blanket up over him and turned on his nightlight. At Dawn's request, she also turned on a white noise machine and left the door slightly ajar when she left the room.

She'd brought a book with her to read for the rest of the night. Dawn and Willow had finally convinced her to read the Harry Potter books, insisting that it wasn't _really_ a kid's series. She'd agreed more because she'd had nothing better to do with her time and had been surprised to find that she enjoyed the first book. She was on the second one already and was halfway through when Dawn and Elliot came home a little after 11.

"Any issues?" Dawn asked, taking off her jacket.

"He had an accident, but other than that – things went beautifully. You've got a good kid there," Buffy said.

"Yeah, I think we'll keep him," Dawn said, causing Elliot and Buffy to chuckle.

"Thanks again, Buff," Elliot said, hugging her. "We really appreciate it." He pulled out his wallet – wait, were they going to pay her? She held up her hand when he pulled out a couple of bills.

"Are you serious?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "It was my pleasure." She pushed his hand away. "Tell you what, you can buy me lunch some time. Deal?"

Elliot and Dawn both laughed, her brother-in-law, putting the money away. "Deal," he said. She hugged them both again, said goodnight, and left.

XXXX

A few days later, Buffy had finally confided in Dawn about the feelings of boredom and loneliness that she'd been feeling recently. Dawn, ever the optimist, said Buffy just needed some friends outside of the Scoobies. She encouraged Buffy to go hang out with some coworkers or go on a date. When recommending Buffy find a date, Dawn's exact words had been "go find someone nice and not vampy." Buffy had scowled at her sister.

So when the next day a coworker named Jen asked her and some other members of the staff out for drinks after work, Buffy agreed. The others were surprised, but pleased, since she'd never gone out with them before, always preferring to keep them at a distance.

Her coworkers liked a place called "Robbie's Pub." Supposedly, they had "the best wings ever!" plus a good selection of beers on tap. Buffy had never really liked the taste of beer, though she drank it when the people around her did. She had always much preferred so-called "girly-drinks" where you couldn't taste the alcohol. Of course, those were always the most dangerous drinks since it was so easy to just drink those like they were juice. And anything was better than hard liquor, which she'd really only ever drank when she'd been with Spike.

She followed Jen's lead, ordering a Blue Moon on tap and the 3 women and 2 men found a booth to hang out at. They placed several orders of wings, and Mike, Tom, and Alexis all ordered burgers too. Buffy wasn't particularly hungry, so she figured she'd just have some wings.

Her coworkers had started talking about a new movie, staring Hugh Jackman that had recently come out. Most of them had seen it, and the others had wanted to. They started making plans to go see it that weekend, inviting Buffy along. She was reluctant, but Dawn's voice started shouting in her head to relearn how to socialize. Hadn't she once been a master at socializing and making friends? That had been a lifetime ago – 4 lifetimes in slayer years. So she agreed, saying that it sounded like fun. A few of the others exchanged looks, as though silently communicating that they were shocked she was agreeing to this too.

Their wings and burgers arrived, and they dove in. Buffy had a few wings, but found them spicier than she was used to, and settled for slowly drinking her beer. Mike and Jen were already on their second drinks.

The conversation lulled while they ate and Buffy noticed a man and woman walking into the bar. The man was a hulking figure, towering over everyone else in the bar. He had elegant chin-length brown hair, and a muscular build. He was wearing a suit, though the tie had been removed, and on his arm was a stunning brunette wearing a button down shirt and jeans. Buffy found herself staring at the two of them as they went to the bar, ordered drinks and then wandered over to a table in the corner.

The man was extremely handsome, in a rugged way, broad shouldered, with scruff on his chin. The woman held herself like she was the most beautiful creature in the world, and Buffy privately wondered if she was. The woman was whispering in the man's ear when the couple's drinks arrived; they ignored them as they started to kiss passionately and unashamedly.

The extreme PDA surprised Buffy and she mumbled "gross" to herself, causing the others to look at her. She hadn't realized that she'd spoken aloud. The others, following her gaze, saw what she was looking at and started laughing.

The others started chatting again, and Buffy did her best to participate in the conversation, but she found herself drawn to watching the couple every few minutes. In the back of her mind, she started to register that there was something off about this couple. One of them, she realized, must not be human.

She started to watch them closer, without looking like she was staring. Yes, one of them was definitely not human, but they were wound around each other so tightly, she couldn't tell which.

She had completely checked out of the conversation with her coworkers at this point, and she wasn't sure if it was going to be construed as her being rude, or just ditzy, but she didn't really care. One side of that couple was in danger, and she had to protect them.

She was trying to determine what kind of monster vibe she was getting, which was something that her and Giles had been working on over the years and she still hadn't quite mastered – though she could identify most monsters on sight now, simply by her "slayer sense," even if they looked human. This one however, was different. She had no clue what it was, and that made her nervous.

The door to the pub opened, a blast of cold air coming in along with the man who opened it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a chiseled hottie standing in the entrance, looking around the pub. She broke her gaze away from the couple to get a better look at him. He was tall with light brown, styled hair and a well-built physique. He was wearing jeans and work boots, with a black t-shirt under a button down flannel and a brown leather jacket. Buffy dubbed the look "Lumberjack Chic." She felt like she recognized him, but couldn't figure out why. He had an almost soap-opera look about him. Maybe he was an actor? _An actor with terrible fashion sense, maybe,_ she mused.

He looked extremely anxious as he stared around the bar, clearly looking for something. When his eyes found the couple that had been making out in the corner, he cringed and brusquely walked over to them.

He said something to the couple, causing them to break apart. Buffy was very tense now, sensing that a fight was coming. The two men clearly knew each other, though the woman looked perfectly at her ease. While watching the scene, Buffy, in her head, started referring to the men as "Mr. Pantene Pro-V" and "Mr. Passions," remembering the soap that her mother and Spike used to watch. The woman she thought of as "Helen of Troy."

She thought the men must be fighting over the woman, and that suspicion seemed confirmed when "Passions" grabbed "Pantene Pro-V" by the collar and pulled him away from her and the booth. Buffy was watching openly now, though a good portion of the bar had also started watching the scene playing out when the men had started becoming aggressive. Several bar patrons started subtly moving away from the men.

Pantene forced Passions to release his jacket and quickly followed this up with a punch to the face. Several customers were on their feet now, watching anxiously, Buffy included. Watching their body language, both men clearly knew how to fight, a few hits were landed on both sides and Passions was knocked into the table. Helen whispered something into his ear that seemed to make Passions angrier. She seemed very pleased with the situation – in fact, she'd managed to secure one of the drinks on the table that hadn't been knocked over and was taking a sip.

Passions tackled Pantene through a door and disappeared from sight. Helen stood up calmly, brushed off her clothes and followed them, seemingly at her leisure. Buffy vaguely noticed how beautiful she was when she walked – swaying her hips. Her clothes were fitted perfectly, showing off her curves. Her hair, which was in a ponytail, swung back and forth as she moved and looked silky and shiny. Buffy blinked distractedly and ran after them, ignoring the shouts and questions from her coworkers.

When she got through the door, she found herself standing in the back alley behind the pub. The men were fighting fiercely, and her "Slayer Sense" was still going off, but she still couldn't tell who it was for or what it was alerting her to. Pantene had just thrown a knife at Passions, who'd used a garbage can lid to deflect it. Oh yes, these men definitely knew how to fight. And judging by what she was seeing, this wasn't even _their_ first fight.

The lid had been tossed aside, and Passions punched Pantene in the gut, causing him to double over, trying to catch his breath. He then kicked, buckling the taller man's knees, forcing him to the ground. Buffy was impressed with their technique. _What am I doing?_ she asked herself suddenly. Watching this fight? She should be breaking it up, right? But she still didn't know who the monster was. She crossed her arms, confused, trying to make up her mind. She thought it must be Mr. Pantene Pro-V since she'd had the sense since before Mr. Passions had shown up. But she didn't want to attack and then be wrong. And surely the woman couldn't be at fault. She glanced over to her, and realized that she'd been leaning against the wall, cool as a cucumber. She was clearly enjoying the show.

She really was striking. Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. It had to be one of the men. But her Slayer Sense was telling her a different story. Now that she was separated a bit from the men (Pantene had just kicked Passions in the gut), Buffy thought that the monster vibe really was coming from Helen. And since when did Buffy start checking out women? She'd be the first to admit that she could find women attractive on occasion, but never like this. Helen of Troy was causing this fight – she was sure of it now.

Helen still hadn't noticed Buffy, too focused on the men fighting before her. Passions had managed to catch Pantene's foot and throw him into the wall of the bar. Both men were on their feet again in seconds and fingering something behind their backs – guns! They both had guns and were getting ready to use them! Gods, Buffy hated guns.

She was about to finally intercede – though the fight had only lasted a few minutes when Helen spoke up, walking toward the men. "Boys, as much as I'm enjoying watching this show of masculinity, I'm getting a bit bored," she said.

Both men immediately stopped reaching for their weapons and rushed to Helen, Passions getting there first – he really did look familiar. Pantene looked ready to attack again, but Helen stopped him with a single finger to his lips. She turned back to Passions.

"Dean, darling, don't you think this is all a little much? Sam and I were happy. I'm not sure why you felt the need to ruin that?" she asked sweetly. Her voice was like honey and soothed Buffy's troubled soul. She could listen to that voice all day.

"I'm sorry, Dana," Passions – Dean said. He leaned down and picked up a knife and handed it back to the taller man – Sam. Both men visibly relaxed. Buffy stared at them. Was he serious? Just like that and it was over? Something was very off here. Idly she reached for her own knife that she had in an inside pocket. Dean's eyes flicked over to her – he'd noticed, though his eyes seemed slightly glazed over.

Dana reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, and Dean's dazed look became completely calm as he looked at her – almost loving.

"Sam and I were looking for some alone time, Dean. I promise you, we're both OK. You should go straight home, and I don't mean the motel. Don't think, just drive. Sam will be back with you soon, I promise," Dana soothed him. Sam and Dean were both nodding, eyes glossy, and Dean covered Dana's hand with his own.

"I'll go, but I'll miss you," Dean said, sounding stoned. This was getting ridiculous. It was time for Buffy to intervene. This woman had clearly put the whammy on these men. She had to stop it. Dana reached up and kissed Dean on the cheek, causing him to visibly sigh with pleasure. "See you later, Sammy, take good care of her for me." Dean turned away and began to walk down the alley away from them.

Enough was enough, and she loudly exclaimed, "Oh, I don't think so!" Buffy ran up to Dana, before Sam could reach her and punched her in the jaw as hard as she could. Dana flew backward and landed in a heap against the wall.

Buffy had assumed that the woman would be knocked out, and hoped that it would be enough to break whatever spell this woman had over the men. Unfortunately, the woman was tougher than she looked and was shaking her head dizzily. Both men glared hatred at Buffy and started reaching for their guns. This was not good. She had to get them all out of there.

Buffy looked back at Dana who was clearly furious, "Take. Her. Down." At her words, Buffy actually felt the desire to surrender. The men had taken out their guns and one was aiming at her head, the other her chest. Dana stared Buffy down, and Buffy felt instant regret at punching her. She shouldn't have done it. A woman like this surely couldn't have caused any of this, right? It must be the men, she turned back to look at the ire on their faces and she blinked.

No, this was wrong. It was the woman – it had to be. Buffy shook her head, trying to clear it and trust her slayer instincts which were currently at war with her head. She ran over to Dana as quickly as she could and punched her in the face again. Hard.

This time it worked, and the woman was knocked unconscious. Buffy knew immediately because she felt a pressure in her brain, that she hadn't realized was there, lessen. The woman had been putting the whammy on Buffy too!

She turned to the men, who were now blinking away their own confusion. Though, they were still eyeing Buffy with distrust and suspicion. Frustrated with the entire situation, she said, "Are you two amateurs going to continue fighting, or has her thrall worn off?"

Behind her, she could feel Dana already starting to wake up. This wasn't going to be a simple fight. This woman could mind control all of them. They had to get out of there before she could persuade them any further. She needed more information about who—what this woman was before facing her again. She didn't like running, but it was time to go. Someone this powerful could possibly defeat Buffy, unless Buffy knew what she was up against. And if she tried to fight her while these men were still here, they would probably hinder her further. Better to regroup.

She punched the stirring Dana for a last time and turned to face the men who were staring at her. "We need to get out of here, before she wakes up again," she said quickly.

"Did you call us 'amateurs?'" Dean asked incredulously.

"Not the time!" Buffy shot back.

"Car, now!" Sam yelled. Dana had started to stir again. _Seriously? She should be out for hours after hits like that!_ Buffy thought angrily. But Sam was right. The fog was already starting to creep back up on Buffy's mind, so it was probably worse for the men.

Sam and Dean both took off running toward the parking lot and Buffy followed, needing to make sure that the men were going to be OK and not fall under her influence from afar. Vaguely, she worried about the people still in the bar. What if Dana went back inside? She found it unlikely, though. Chances were she would want to regroup and track Buffy, Sam, and Dean down.

Sam and Dean ran up to a large, black muscle car and threw themselves inside. Buffy hesitated. They were probably fine – maybe she should just go home. But the way these men fought… and they would probably have a lot of questions about what had just happened. Buffy couldn't leave them. So, she flung herself into the backseat while Dean turned on the car – the engine roaring to life.

He threw the car into drive and pulled out onto the road, driving haphazardly.

His eyes, still on the road, Dean said, "Dude, what the hell?!"

"I know, what was she?" Sam asked.

Buffy felt that it was time to explain a little, but she didn't have time to soften the blow, "Sorry, boys. I'm only here because I need to make sure that she isn't still influencing you. I don't have time for the whole 'the truth is out there' speech..."

"No need," Sam said, turning to look back at her, "we're hunters too." Buffy stared.

* * *

 **A/N:** Goddly500 - I'm right there with you. I love Buffy/Dean. But fair warning, this story will be a slow burn on those two, as it won't be the primary focus of the story. I'm glad you like it so far. I have the whole story outlined and I plan to post a chapter at least once a week, more if I can manage it.

Reviews?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Cleveland, OH  
Euclid Avenue

"Oh, for the love of…" the blonde cursed. "You guys are hunters? And you let that thing get the whammy on you like that?"

"First of all, sweetheart," Dean said, annoyed at the blonde's tone. "We didn't _let_ that thing do anything. We were investigating a case and she was there. We weren't exactly expecting a monster to be working in the morgue. Though, it wouldn't be the first time we've run into that," he added thoughtfully. They really needed to start taking morticians more seriously. It was good hiding ground for monsters. And the fact that it had been interested in Sam should have tipped him off. Why did monsters always seem to be interested in Sammy?

He watched the road carefully as he drove. He was speeding, he knew, but he wanted to put as much distance between themselves and that thing as he could.

"Listen, thanks for the help, but we can take it from here, so where can I drop you?" Dean said, looking at the woman through the rear-view mirror. He still thought she looked familiar, but didn't have the foggiest clue from where. She had long wavy hair that she kept tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a leather jacket over what seemed to be business clothes. Dean guessed she must have been a few years younger than himself, though possibly older than Sam. She had the hardened face of a long-time fighter, but it didn't stop her from being extremely attractive.

"You think I'm leaving you alone after that fight I just witnessed? Hell no. I need to make sure whatever mojo that siren placed on you two is gone. I'm sticking with you boys until I can be sure of that."

Sam turned around in his seat to face her, "Can we at least get your name?"

"Buffy Summers."

"Wait… Like, the Slayer?" Sam asked, sounding surprised. Dean was completely lost. Sam clearly recognized her name, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam looking at this Buffy (could that really be her name?) with awe and respect. Sam didn't look at anyone like that. The last time Sam had looked at someone like that, it had been when they'd realized who Chuck really was – and the respect hadn't been nearly as prevalent then. Truth be told, he hadn't seen that complete look on Sam's face since the first time he'd met an angel – before he'd realized they were all dicks.

"You know this chick?" Dean asked, looking at his brother.

"Well, I know _of_ her of course. The Slayer, right?" he turned back to look at Buffy. Through his rear-view mirror, Dean could see Buffy looking resigned, but nodding.

"What the hell is a Slayer?" Dean asked.

"Dude, seriously? How do you not know this? Don't you _ever_ do research?"

"Sure, I do – when you aren't around and I have to. Besides, that's what nerds like you are for," Dean shot back.

"Brothers or lovers?" Buffy asked with furrowed brows and a slight grin on her face.

Dean groaned and he saw Sam flinch; why did people always seem to think they were a couple? "Brothers – definitely brothers," Sam responded quickly. Buffy nodded, but her grin had broadened slightly. "I'm Sam Winchester, this is my brother Dean."

"Yeah, caught your names during the fight," Buffy said.

The conversation lulled after the initial introductions were made, though Dean was still curious as to what a "slayer" was. Was that not just a fancy name for a hunter? Must be something else. He thought on the speed and power behind the hits the woman had landed against Dana and figured it probably was. He pulled into their motel and parked Baby in front of their room.

They all got out and Sam led the way into the room. Dean followed Buffy, preferring to keep an eye on her. She was clearly aware of what he was doing, though it didn't seem to concern her much. Sam held open the door for her and they all went inside, Dean putting out the "Do Not Disturb" sign as usual and locking the door.

"OK, anyone feel like explaining what a Slayer is? I assume we aren't talking about the band," Dean asked the other two.

Buffy sighed, looking resigned again, but Sam spoke up. "Basically, she's a superpowered girl who fights monsters. Right?" he asked, turning to Buffy for confirmation.

"Right. We fight vamps, monsters, demons, yadda yadda," she said sounding almost bored.

"'We?'" Sam asked. "It was my understanding that there was only ever one at a time? From what I've heard, you're the longest living slayer in history. Most don't live much past their early 20's."

"Long story, but yea, slayers generally have an early expiration date. And there are hundreds, if not thousands of us now," Buffy explained. Sam looked shocked.

"How did that happen?" he asked, excitedly.

"Extremely powerful magicks," she said simply.

Sam looked ready to inquire further, but Dean interrupted. "So, you've got superpowers and you fight evil. Got it. So do you know what that thing was?"

"'Fraid not. She had the two of you seriously under her sway, though. And honestly, she kinda had me going too. Fortunately, my slayer instincts were telling me that she wasn't what she seemed and I was able to fight whatever vibe she was putting off."

"'She had you going too?'" Dean asked. He smiled, raising an eyebrow, "Like you were attracted to her too."

"Dude, focus," Sam said turning to his brother, looking exasperated. Dean sighed, but couldn't get rid of the grin. He turned to the cooler and pulled out a few beers. He handed one to Sam and offered another to Buffy, who made a face. He shrugged and put it back, sitting down at the table. Sam and Buffy joined him, Sam opening his beer.

"Ok, so what are we thinking? Siren?" Sam asked.

"No, sirens require getting their venom into you before they can control you like that. This woman was impacting people simply by being around them," Buffy said thoughtfully. Dean nodded in agreement and Buffy continued, "I think we're going to need to do some research before we face her again. How did you two meatheads stumble on to her anyway?"

 _Meatheads?!_ Dean narrowed his eyes at her. She clearly thought that they were out of their depth and would need her help. "Whoa, who said you were going to help? I thought you were just here to make sure we weren't 'whammied' anymore?" he asked, annoyed. She turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"You'll need my help on this one. You two couldn't fight off her thrall with a nerf gun. I can," she said, sounding superior.

"Dean, she might be right," Sam said, meeting his brother's eyes. "We don't know what she is, but she's clearly powerful. Back up might not be a bad idea."

"I hate this."

"You hate everything," Sam shot back, unconcerned and unsurprised. Buffy grinned slightly, but then made her face blank and Dean narrowed his eyes at her. He wasn't sure he liked this "slayer." From the sounds of it, he wasn't sure she was even really human. Not completely. And they were taking her at her word? What if she wasn't even really this "Buffy" that Sam had heard of?

"How do we even know who this woman really is?" Dean asked Sam, not bothering to worry about offending her or not.

"Dean, you saw the strength and speed she has, do you doubt your own eyes?"

"Wouldn't be the first time that we've been fooled. Besides, what if she's something else? She could easily be a demon."

"I'm sitting right here," Buffy said, crossing her arms, and looking annoyed. "You wanna test me, go for it. I wouldn't mind confirming that you two are who you say you are either, if we're going to work together."

Sam and Dean nodded, and then started doing the usual tests: holy water, silver, salt, Dean even went so far as to check with Borax. Buffy raised her eyebrows at one point, getting bored; she pulled out her wallet and showed Sam her ID as if that would settle it. Cutting her arm with the silver knife didn't seem to bother her one bit.

Sam and Dean agreed that she appeared to be completely human, and then proceeded to do the same tests on themselves. Buffy looked pleased at this and Dean wondered if she wasn't putting them through this to get back at them. When they were done, his suspicions were confirmed when she grinned outright and said, "I knew you were humans. My monster senses would have told me otherwise the second we met."

"Then why the hell…" Dean started to say angrily.

"Paybacks a bitch," she shrugged. Then she started laughing. Sam eyed her and then joined in. Dean didn't see why any of this was funny. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his beer.

"Moving on…" Dean said pointedly, breaking Sam and Buffy out of their laughter. "We need to figure out what Dana was." The others nodded and Dean started flipping through his father's journal, though he knew there was nothing in it that might sound like this. After all these years, he practically had the thing memorized.

Sam pulled out his laptop and started researching online. Buffy stepped outside to make a call, but didn't say to who. When she came back inside she said, "I described what we knew about the woman to the team back at HQ. They're going to see if they can find anything for us."

"HQ?" Sam asked before Dean could.

"Slayer Org headquarters. We're based here in Cleveland and they have a bigger collection of supernatural reference volumes than anyone else in the world."

"Have you met the Men of Letters?" Dean asked with a grin.

Buffy looked at him confused and shook her head.

"I bet theirs is bigger," he said, smiling.

"Put the ruler away, Dean." Sam said, shaking his head. "Thanks Buffy. I'm sure that will be helpful."

They spent the next hour or so attempting research but it looked like Buffy was as adapt at it as Dean was. Buffy had been doing simple searches on her phone and answering texts from "HQ" about the case. All Sam kept finding was sirens and succubi but neither seemed to fit the powers correctly. Dana was more powerful than either. Finally, Dean turned to Sam.

"What about Dana, herself?" he asked. Sam and Buffy both looked up at him. "We're trying to find out what this woman is, but not _who_ she is."

Sam nodded and started typing away on his computer. "Ok, I'm in the morgue's employee records. Dana Morris. She's only 21 and she's been working there just a few weeks, doesn't have a degree of any sort from what I can see, though she was hired as a nurse… and it looks like she's making more money than the mortician. How did that happen?"

"Power of persuasion would be my guess," Buffy said.

"21?" Dean asked, a slight grin on his face, "when did you become a cradle robber, Sammy?" Sam scowled. Dean continued, "so she's been working there for only as long as the deaths have been going on? Are we all on the same page that she's probably behind the mummies?"

"Mummies?" Buffy asked. Dean quickly filled her in on the case that brought them here. Buffy looked surprised, but thoughtful. Sam and Buffy both agreed that Dana was likely behind the deaths.

Sam continued reading through Dana's records. She had a local address and a mother who lived in Youngstown. She had a spotless record, and was listed as valedictorian from her high school. She had a Facebook page with hundreds of friends. It seemed like everything about her was perfect. But they all agreed it was too perfect.

Sam started looking into her mother, who seemed much more normal. She worked at a floral shop near her home and had a few speeding tickets. They decided to pay her mother a visit the next day to see what she has to say about her daughter.

When it was past midnight, and they'd decided what to do the next day, Buffy got up to go. She said she could walk home, but Dean offered to drive. The car ride was short, quiet, and slightly awkward, neither really having anything to say to the other. Sam had opted to stay behind and see if he could find anything else on Dana or her mother.

Dean pulled up in front of an old apartment building and Buffy got out after a quick "night." He watched her until she was inside and then quickly drove back to the motel, his thoughts still lingering on the question of Buffy's humanity, or possible lack thereof.

XXXX

The next day, Sam and Dean waited for Buffy outside her apartment at 9am. She'd called out of work so she could go with them to Youngstown and investigate the case. Sam and Dean were dressed in their suits and Buffy was wearing slacks and a white button down shirt. She'd wanted to wear her usual clothes, but Sam and Dean had persuaded her to dress professionally.

They'd decided they were going to pose as officials from the hospital that was affiliated with the morgue where Dana worked. They would tell her mother that they were there to get some background information on Dana who'd been nominated for Employee of the Year. That seemed like the most feasible situation that would explain their presence to the mother; assuming the mother was human, of course. Sam hadn't been able to find any adoption records or birth certificate, so the question of her parentage and the mother's humanity persisted.

The hour drive to Youngstown was uneventful, no one saying much. They pulled up to a blue two-story house with a wrap-around porch and two-car garage. The front lawn was browning, but neatly trimmed. It looked very suburban to Dean's eyes and he briefly thought of Lisa and Ben before shaking his head and getting out of the car with the others, pushing thoughts of his old flame aside.

They walked up the porch and rang the bell. If she wasn't home, she would probably be at her flower shop, and they would go there next. Fortunately, it appeared she was home, as only a minute later they heard a lock click and a tall woman with dirty blonde hair answered the door, opening it just enough to talk to them.

"Hello? Can I help you?" she asked, looking at them curiously. The door was opened wide enough that they could see she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt under what appeared to be a painting smock. Her frizzy hair was tied back in a messy bun and a pencil was tucked behind her ear. One hand was resting on the door, the other was on her hip. Sam and Dean glanced at Buffy quickly who nodded her head imperceptibly. She was definitely human. That was something at least. _That's an extremely convenient ability to have_ , Dean thought jealously.

"Hello, are you Ms. Margaret Morris?" Dean asked, turning back to look at the woman. She nodded, looking suspicious. "My name is Dr. Thomas Waters. These are my associates Drs. Jacob Gilmour and Molly Barrett. We're board members at St. Vincent Hospital in Cleveland, where your daughter works," Dean said, flashing a hospital badge. "May we come in?"

She narrowed her eyes and bit her lip, looking slightly nervous. "Is Dana OK?"

"Oh, of course, ma'am. It's nothing to worry about. You're daughter has been nominated for Employee of the Year and we're here to find out more about her. Standard procedure for all nominees; interviewing friends and family. May we come in?" he asked again.

She studied all three of them before she finally nodded and opened the door all the way for them. She stepped aside to allow them inside then closed the door behind them, locking it. She led them into a small sitting room and offered them drinks which they politely declined.

Dean and Sam sat on the couch while Buffy sat in an easy chair. Ms. Morris seated herself in the matching chair next to Buffy and across the coffee table from Sam and Dean. She looked extremely uneasy and was eyeing them uncertainly.

"So," she said hesitantly. "Dana's been nominated for an award?"

"That's right, ma'am." Sam said. "We were hoping you could tell us a bit about her home life. Her childhood. Did she always want to be a nurse?"

"Oh… you know," she said. "Typical childhood, I guess." She didn't elaborate and seemed extremely nervous.

"Ms. Morris, are you OK?" Dean asked. Buffy was watching Sam and Dean's interview with curiosity. She hadn't been a huge fan of this plan, but had agreed to it as it would be easier to talk to the mother this way.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Fine," her voice was quavering and she was gripping the arm of the chair tightly.

"So," Sam continued, "We know that Dana was valedictorian of her high school class. You must have been very proud."

"Proud, yes. Very proud," she nodded vigorously.

Buffy leaned forward and placed a hand on Ms. Morris' knee. "There's something different about your daughter, isn't there, Ms. Morris?"

Apparently Buffy decided to throw caution to the wind. But Dean wasn't sure she was wrong to do so. This woman wasn't giving them very much information and seemed afraid to talk about her daughter. Maybe in this case, the direct approach was the right way to go.

The woman shot Buffy a quick and frightened look, "Different? No, of course not. There's nothing different about Dana. She's a good girl. High school valedictorian. She had lots of friends going up. Lots of friends. Never got in trouble, she didn't. No, nothing different about her at all. Except that she was a miracle child." She was babbling and visibly starting to sweat. Her hair was becoming frizzier by the second as her discomfort rose. The pencil that had been tucked behind her ear fell behind her into the chair.

"What do you mean by 'miracle child?'" Sam asked.

She looked scared at her own words, like she'd regretted what she'd said, but she tried to explain. "When she was born, the doctors thought she was dead."

"So, she is yours then?" Dean questioned. Sam kicked him behind the coffee table causing Dean to grunt.

Ms. Morris gave him a defensive look, "Of course she's mine."

"Sorry, just… curious. So, the doctors thought she was stillborn?" Dean asked.

"Sort of. During my first ultrasound they couldn't find a heartbeat and recommended an abortion since it's unhealthy to carry a dead fetus and could lead to a dangerous miscarriage, but I didn't believe them. I could feel her. At my next ultrasound, they still couldn't find a pulse, but she'd definitely grown and was moving. They couldn't explain it. I carried her full term and when she was finally born, they still couldn't find a heartbeat. But she was crying and moving so clearly she was alive. They wanted to keep her in the hospital to study her, to find out what was wrong, but there was nothing wrong. She was perfectly fine so I took her home." She said all this very fast as though she'd never told anyone. And maybe she hadn't. Dean head never heard of such a thing and glanced and Sam and Buffy, who were both looking as stunned as he must be.

"They never found a heartbeat?" Sam asked slowly.

"Or breath. Not until she was 7," she shook her head as though trying to forget.

"She didn't _breathe_ until she was 7 years old?" Dean asked, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

"Not that anyone could ever detect. When I took her for physicals and doctor's appointments, they could never find a heartbeat or listen to her lungs. They kept wanting to hold her for further tests, but I wouldn't let them. There was nothing wrong with her. She was a happy, healthy kid. Except…" she trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

"Except?" Buffy prompted.

"Except nothing," she said, suddenly angry. "I don't know what this has to do with anything."

"We're sorry, Ms. Morris, we didn't mean to push," Buffy said soothingly. The woman was breathing heavily and was glaring at each of them. When her eyes met Dean's, he could feel the heat in them, but he thought he could also see what could only be described as fear. She was afraid of them. Or maybe she was afraid of her own daughter?

"Ms. Morris… Margaret. May I call you Margaret?" Dean asked gently, trying to match Buffy's calming tone.

"Peggy," she said nodding, visibly trying to settle herself.

"Peggy," he amended. "What about her life growing up? You said she had a lot of friends. And she must have been very good in school to be valedictorian. What was that like?"

She seemed to relax a little at the change in topic, but she still looked anxious. "It was fine. Never got in trouble. Everything seemed to come so easily to her."

"Things seemed to just fall into her lap, huh?" Sam hazard a guess. Dean eyed him cautiously but turned to see how Peggy would react.

She nodded, "Oh, yes. You should have seen the birthday parties she would throw. Everyone in town would come with the most extravagant gifts. They just loved her so much."

"Uh huh," Dean said unsurprised. "I bet they did. Tell us, Peggy. You were the only person listed as a contact in her file. Is there anyone else we should talk to – you know, for the interviews? Does she have a boyfriend? Her father maybe?"

"I'm afraid she doesn't know her father. He was… well… let's just say I didn't know him for very long. As for a boyfriend, I don't know if she's seeing anyone. Though she had a string of boyfriends through high school. Poor boys…" she shook her head sadly.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked tentatively.

"Well, they all loved her so much, but I guess it was just bad luck. They all seemed to get sick shortly into the relationships. Several ended up in the hospital, weak and hurting. One even wound up in a coma – dehydrated and bruised. The doctors could never figure out what caused it. He never woke up. A few others moved away with their families. Poor Dana couldn't take it so she dove into her studies, I think," Peggy said. Dean looked at the woman carefully, studying her expressions. She seemed truly saddened by her story. And there was something else in her face… was that guilt?

Did she _know_ that her daughter was most likely causing these events? She was manipulating people into giving her whatever she wanted. And she definitely was causing the sicknesses that plagued her boyfriends. She was looking more and more like the killer they were looking for. _But what the hell was she?!_ She was born to a human and raised that way. And while she's hurt people, it appeared that she hadn't started killing until recently. So what was she?

"I'm so sorry to hear all that, sounds like she had a rough time growing up," Buffy said.

Peggy eyed them, but fell silent. Dean couldn't think of anything else to ask. Buffy and Sam asked a few more questions, but there didn't seem to be any more relevant information that Peggy was willing to share. They were soon being ushered to the front door.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Morris. You've provided some very good insight into your daughter and we will take this into careful consideration when it comes time to decide on the recipient of the award," Sam said cheerfully. She nodded uncomfortably and opened the door for them.

Back in the car, they all agreed that Ms. Morris was afraid of her daughter, though it didn't seem like she really knew why. The thing about not having a heartbeat or breath until she was 7 was highly suspicious – and definitely not human. Sam started researching as soon as they hit the highway and by the time they got back to the motel, he was pretty sure he knew what they were dealing with.

"It's a Cambion," Sam explained back in their room.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Dean asked. He thought he'd heard the name before, but couldn't remember from where.

"You remember Jesse Turner?" Sam asked.

"The half-demon Anti-Christ kid?" Dean said wonderingly. Cas had called Jess a Cambion. "Please don't tell me that we're dealing with that again?"

"You've met the Anti-Christ?" Buffy asked amazed.

"Close enough," Sam said. "He wasn't really a bad kid, just had a mother who'd been possessed during her pregnancy… demon. Anyway, he was half demon, but I don't think that's what we're dealing with here, but it's the same name and a similar situation. Except Dana is half succubus."

"Half-succubus is also a Cambion?" Dean asked.

"Apparently. Its possible that people have confused the two in the lore, so they were accidently given the same name - not sure. But their abilities are a bit different. And the method to impregnate a human in this case is ridiculous and… gross. They have no breath or heartbeat until they're 7 years old – that was the smoking gun – very distinctive. They have the power of persuasion and they can drain a human of all their energy if they're intimate with them. That's why all the victims looked mummified," Sam explained, reading from his laptop.

"How are they made?" Dean asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Sam cringed and glanced at Buffy, but then read, "For a succubus to impregnate a human, she must first acquire the sperm of a human male; and the human male will generally not survive the process. The obtained sperm will then be passed on to an incubus, who will use it to impregnate a human female." He looked up, a disgusted look on his face.

Dean blinked. "Dude, that sounds like a bad porn," he admitted.

"You think everything is like a porn," Sam pointed out rolling his eyes. Buffy chuckled briefly watching the brothers, her arms folded over her chest.

"Any weaknesses?" Buffy asked Sam.

"Sunlight and cold. There are pentagram traps you can make that will slow the Cambion down, but they can escape them pretty easily. Sounds like they will weaken one for a time though," Sam said scanning the page.

"Sunlight and cold, huh?" Dean asked pensively. A thought came to mind and he grinned, "you know, it's too bad we don't have a freeze ray."

"Wouldn't that make us, like, supervillains or something?" Sam shot back, chuckling. "In all seriousness, I don't think that's going to help us, since I don't think they exist." He rolled his eyes at his brother who was grinning.

"… actually, I might be able to help there," Buffy said eyeing the two men. They stared at her. Was she serious? Did she actually have a freeze ray? If she did, Dean wholeheartedly intended to call dibs. "Let me make a quick call," she said grinning.

She stepped outside, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Dean watched her as she went, enjoying the movement of her hips as she walked. When the door closed behind her Dean turned back to Sammy who was watching him, an eyebrow raised. They sat in silence for a bit, before Dean called a local pizza place for dinner and then Buffy came back in.

"Good news, we actually have a working freeze ray back at HQ," she announced happily.

"Dibs!" Dean shouted immediately. The other two both eyed him. "What?"

Buffy shook her head and went on, "One of our watchers, Andrew, used to be a 'supervillain' nerd." She used air quotes around the word and rolled her eyes at the memory. "He and two other geeks designed a freeze ray. They used it to rob a museum at the time." Sam and Dean were staring at her as she explained. Was she serious? And this man was a watcher now? According to Buffy and Sam, a watcher was like a Man of Letters who helped and trained slayers. "But when he came to our side, he brought that technology with him. He couldn't get it to work properly again – Warren was really the tech genius, not Andrew – but with some help from Willow and a little magical upgrade, it works now. So we can go to HQ tomorrow and get it."

"Awesome," Dean said grinning.

Their pizza arrived and Sam continued to research the Cambion, her abilities, and weaknesses while they ate. Afterward, Dean drove Buffy home again. She was thoughtfully looking out the window as he drove. He appreciatively studied her out of the corner of his eye and decided that she really was striking. _Maybe when this is all over_ … he let the thought trail away.

When he got back to the motel, Dean turned to Sam who looked up when he entered the room.

"Gotta say, little bro, that slayer chick is hot."

"Dude, you cannot hit that," Sam said rolling his eyes and laughing.

"Why the hell not?"

"Well, for starters, she has a well-known history of dating monsters," Sam explained. Was he serious? She dated monsters, a slayer? Then a thought occurred to him and he grinned, eyeing his brother.

"So do you…"

"…shut up."

* * *

 **A/N:** Reviews?


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
Cleveland, OH  
Hamilton Avenue

Buffy called out of work again, happy to finally be working a real job – _her_ real job. Her supervisor was concerned, but Buffy told her that she wasn't feeling well and may be out for a few more days. Sam and Dean were waiting for her in their large car outside the apartment when she stepped outside her door. She found herself enjoying their company, though Dean could be extremely immature at times. Sam just seemed like a genuine sweetie.

She climbed in the back seat and Dean pulled out onto the road. He turned the music up, much to her annoyance – it was too early to be blasting anything, let alone AC/DC. She asked him to turn it down, but he just turned it up and started to sing along, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. _Ass._ Sam looked back at her and shrugged with an apologetic look on his face. Clearly he was used to this, though he didn't seem to like it much either. There was no accounting for the patience (or more often, complete lack thereof) between siblings.

Buffy sighed and sat back on the bench backseat, looking out the window and hoping her ears weren't bleeding. Fortunately, the drive to HQ wasn't too long and they were soon parking outside the large manor that the Scoobies had converted for their use. The large black fence that surrounded the house give the impression of foreboding (in addition to the name), but that was mostly to discourage solicitors. The stonework on the house had been cleaned and repaired in the years since they'd moved in, making the house both impressive and attractive, if slightly imposing. The trees in the yard were currently bare, and icicles hung from the eaves over the windows.

Getting out of the car, she noticed that Dean had stopped and was staring up at the house.

"Problem?" she asked him. Sam had noticed too and was looking at his brother curiously.

"Is this the Franklin Castle?" Dean asked, turning to her. She blinked, surprised that he knew the local name for the house.

"You know this place?" Sam was looking at Dean with a confused and surprised expression that probably matched her own.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" Buffy answered Dean's question with one of her own. He didn't answer her, looking thoughtful and slightly reminiscent. She shook her head slightly and lead the way to the front door, pushing open the gate that squeaked slightly. Xander would undoubtedly oil that soon – he was compulsive about keeping up the house.

Suddenly Dean stopped again. When Buffy realized that he wasn't behind them anymore, she and Sam turned back to discover that he was now staring at her instead of the house. "Now, I remember you!" he said, shock and a hint of pleasure in his voice. He continued to stare at her and she raised her eyebrows at him, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"That's why you looked so familiar; we met you and an English guy in a cemetery not far from here," Dean said walking up to her. He looked very pleased with himself.

"Dean, what are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"This house was haunted. Dad and I worked a case here, must be 14 or 15 years ago. We got rid of the ghosts in this house before the new owners moved in," Dean explained to Sam. "We met you and an old Brit in the cemetery that night." He was looking at Buffy for confirmation. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Vaguely, she recalled an incident when her and Giles had been patrolling shortly after moving to Cleveland. They hadn't set up HQ yet and had just bought the "Franklin Castle" at an extremely low price thanks to its reputation of being haunted. They had run into an older man and his son in the cemetery after midnight, and… _OMG!_

Her eyes widened as she suddenly recalled the event clearly. "You were not visiting a loved one!" she accused, though she was grinning, finally understanding why he'd looked so familiar. He'd been eyeing her that night – much to her annoyance (and _maybe_ slight amusement – he was awfully cute, after all).

Dean laughed, "Neither were you." Buffy pursed her lips but nodded, trying to hide the grin spreading on her face.

"So you've met before?" Sam asked looking from Buffy to Dean. "When you were with Dad? That's so bizarre."

"Small world, I guess," Buffy said, chuckling. She turned back to the front door and led them inside.

"And the night before that, you were dancing with a brunette in a bar," Dean said, following her inside; there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Buffy stopped in her tracks. She'd forgotten about that. After the events in Sunnydale, Faith and her had been attempting to repair their friendship (and rebuild trust), if for no other reason than to present a united front to the new slayers. So, Faith had dragged her out that night "for a bit of flirting and fun."

"You were there too?" Buffy asked, spinning around.

"Hard to forget that," Dean smirked. "You two were the highlight of that trip. Who was she, by the way?"

"That would be Faith. She's…. not here," Buffy said vaguely. They had managed to rebuild their friendship after a while and Faith had become a bit of a life support system for Buffy. She was one of the few people who could truly understand her. Buffy cringed, remembering the last time she'd seen Faith and wishing she'd known the truth. Even after all these years, her absence stung.

Turning back around, Buffy led them up the stairs by the front door. There weren't many people around this early in the morning. Dawn was probably getting Aaron ready for the day. Xander and Annie were probably sleeping in, as they often did (perks of working in the supernatural field, late nights meant late mornings). There were a few young slayers-in-training around having breakfast or studying, but they didn't pay them much attention, apart from nodding respectfully to Buffy. A few eyed the brothers with a mixture of curiosity and interest.

The old, curved, hardwood stairs creaked as she led them up to the second floor, the carpet runners barely muffling their footsteps. The walls were lined with tapestries and swords (all battle ready) that had been recovered from the Watcher's Council's collections. This house had required a lot of work when they'd first moved in. Xander had been a godsend in that regard, thanks to his carpentry and handiwork. He'd made the place livable, despite decades of neglect.

And apparently the place really had been haunted. And Dean and his father had saved them from having to deal with it. Buffy silently thanked them for that. She hated having to get rid of ghosts. She didn't deal with them often, but the usual manner to do so was icky. Most of the time, she was perfectly happy letting the human hunters deal with ghosts – they were easier than regular monsters or demons anyway, so she didn't mind giving them a little risk.

Turning down the hall on the second floor, Buffy lead them to the back study where Giles liked to work. Andrew's study was right next door; Giles preferred to let each of the "professional" watchers have their own room. Sometimes, Buffy still marveled at Andrew even becoming one of their official watchers, but she couldn't deny him at this point. He was too good. And he cared deeply about the slayers he worked with. And that was vital for a slayer's survival – people that cared about them. Buffy knew that better than anyone.

She led them into Giles' study and he looked up from the book he'd been reading (he refused to go digital even after all this time). He smiled at Buffy, rising. Dean and Sam followed her into the room, and she saw recognition on Dean's face. He subtly turned to Buffy and whispered, "So, _not_ your father then?"

"Uh… no," she said back, though the thought made her smile. "Watcher."

Giles walked up to Buffy, giving her a heartfelt hug, "Buffy," he said warmly. "I feel like it's been too long since I've seen you. Ah, and these must be the hunters you mentioned." He released Buffy and turned to the Winchesters. "Rupert Giles," he introduced himself to them, holding out a hand to each and smiling in a friendly way. When his eyes met Dean's, he started (as much as he could anyway, given how British he could be). "I do believe we've met, sir?" he posed it as a question, though Buffy was sure that he already knew the answer.

"Uh, yeah. About 15 years ago, in a cemetery… it was pretty late at night…" Dean said, taking Giles hand and shaking it. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Ah, yes, I remember. You and your father must have been hunting something then?" Giles asked knowingly. Dean nodded and Giles went on, "I suspected as much."

"Actually," Dean explained, "We were taking care of the ghosts that haunted this place." He waved idly to the house they were standing in. Giles smiled genuinely.

"Well, then we owe you our thanks. How is your father?" Giles asked.

"Dead," Dean answered simply. There appeared to be little emotion in his face as he said it, but Buffy thought she saw a spark of something behind his eyes, though she couldn't tell what it was… Sadness? Anger? Resentment? She couldn't place the emotion – maybe it was a mix… Sam on the other hand was a bit more obvious with his feelings – he clearly missed his father, but there was a lot of bitterness there too. Complicated history with Mr. Winchester and his sons then. Vaguely, Buffy wondered where Sam had been on that particular adventure. 15 years ago… he must have been about 20? Would his father have let him hunt on his own at that point? Dean was the older brother though, so why join Dean on a hunt, but let the younger brother go off on his own. Yes, she was definitely missing something there. Maybe she'd ask about it later…

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Giles said sincerely. Buffy was uncomfortable at this point – her brain trying to connect the dots as best she could with the little she knew of the two men. Sam and Dean looked just as uncomfortable, Sam looking at the floor while Dean studied the walls covered in books. Buffy decided to bring forward the real introductions.

"Giles, this is Dean and Sam Winchester," Buffy said nodding to each man in turn. Giles visibly started again.

"Buffy, you didn't tell me that the hunters you were working with were the Winchesters!" he scolded, turning to her. Sam and Dean both looked embarrassed. Buffy however, was confused. _The_ Winchesters _?_ Giles knew them? Were they famous? Hunters generally laid low, so how would they become famous? Something didn't make sense. She found herself baffled by these men the more she learned about them. Buffy looked at Sam and Dean who were both shifting awkwardly. Finally, Dean looked up and met her eyes; he realized she didn't know what Giles was talking about and he relaxed somewhat.

Giles turned back to the brothers. "I've wanted to meet you both for some time. The things you've done over the years is practically legendary in the right circles." Buffy stared at her watcher. _What?_ "If nothing else, I appreciate all the help you've provided with the angels and demons in recent years. The slayers typically avoid getting involved with angels, unless they're causing harm. Too messy, and political, in my humble opinion."

Buffy was staring at them now – was he seriously talking about angels? Angels were real? _How do I not know this?!_ she shouted privately at herself.

Sam spoke up, though he still looked uncomfortable, he met Giles' eyes, "and we must thank you for all you've done with those hellmouths out there. Those are tricky things that we've thankfully never had to deal with, thanks to you and yours."

Buffy couldn't hold in her question about the brothers any longer, "What the hell are you guys talking about?" but Dean had spoken the same question at the same time as Buffy. She stared at Dean as he stared back at her in surprise. Silence followed the question as Sam and Giles both turned to the other two with matching expressions on their faces. Amusement at their timing, but in regard to their question: resignation… or was it pity? _Stop looking at me like that and answer the damn question, Giles!_ Buffy thought, annoyed.

"Auntie Fubby!" came a small excited voice from the doorway. It broke up the awkward silence that had followed the echoed question and piteous expressions. They all turned to see Aaron coming into the room, arms wide and running at Buffy. She smiled as she bent down to pick up her nephew.

" _Buffy_ " she emphasized. One of these days, he would get her name right. Dawn followed her son into the room, smiling.

"I might start calling you that," she threatened.

"Don't you dare," Buffy laughed, hugging her sister around Aaron.

Releasing Buffy, Dawn turned to look at Sam and Dean, "Who's the eye candy?" she asked unashamedly. Sam and Dean both turned slightly red, though Sam far more than Dean. Dean tried to play it off by smiling at Dawn. _Oh, yes. This man is definitely a flirt._ If she had only guessed it about him before, she was positive now.

Sam awkwardly held out a hand, clearly trying to move past the question, which made Buffy laugh; watching these two men be this uncomfortable was way too funny. She needed to see this happen more often. "Sam Winchester. This is my brother, Dean," Sam said shaking Dawn's hand.

"Dawn Summers-Jones," she said cheerfully. "And this handsome guy is Aaron." She took her son back from Buffy and held out his little hand to Sam, who took it awkwardly, if not extremely gently. Buffy guessed that the Winchesters weren't too accustomed to children.

"Sisters?" Dean guessed when he heard the name. Buffy nodded.

"Winchester, huh? Nice to finally meet you. I've heard your names mentioned a few times over the years. Hunters will occasionally come to me for research assistance and they've told _quite_ the stories. Very colorful. I'd love to know how many of them are actually true," she explained, eyeing them. "Though, none of them mentioned how pretty you both are." Again, Sam and Dean blushed a little, uncomfortable with the attention. Buffy blushed too at Dawn's brazenness. Giles made a face and looked away, taking off his glasses to clean them.

"Did I hear something about the Winchesters? Who's finally agreed to read the 'Supernatural' books?" came Andrew's eager voice from the hallway. Him and Xander walked in a second later, looking around. Buffy looked at him inquisitively. _Now what?_ As much as she respected (and even cared about) Andrew these days, sometimes it was hard getting around his childish excitement about certain things. Glancing at Sam and Dean, she saw that they now had looks on their faces that could not be described as anything other than "deer in the headlights." Oh yes, making these two uncomfortable was quickly becoming her mission in life. It was hilarious (and adorable)!

"What are you on about, Andrew?" Dawn asked.

"That doesn't matter…" Dean tried to say but Andrew was already talking excitedly looking at Dawn.

"The Winchesters. I thought I heard someone mention the name. You know those books I've been trying to get you all to read for years – the 'Supernatural' books about Sam and Dean Winchester," Andrew explained. Buffy and Dawn both turned to stare at Sam and Dean, eyebrows raised. Giles put his glasses back on, studying them curiously. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt you. I just got excited. I'm Andrew," he said, holding out his hand to Dean.

Dean and Sam were both looking half mortified, half resigned. And very distinctively angry.

Buffy recovered first, "'Supernatural books?'" she asked, looking at the brothers. "What's this now?"

"Never mind," Dean tried to say again.

"Uh, anyone feel like introducing us?" Xander asked, looking from Buffy to the brothers. And suddenly, Buffy felt the immediate need to embarrass the brothers further. She just had to know where this was going.

She grinned, "Andrew, Xander, meet Sam and Dean Winchester." Dean cast her an angry look, but then turned a hesitant face to the other two men. Xander and Andrew's faces were priceless. They looked like they'd just entered nerdvana.

"You aren't serious!" Andrew squealed, his voice rising to a dangerous pitch, staring at Buffy. Then he turned and positively beamed at the brothers. He took both of their hands in his, shaking them vigorously. "I knew you had to be real! I just knew it. There was too much truth to the storylines. It's such an honor to meet you, oh I can't believe it. Wait! Wait… Hold on, stay right there. Don't move!" Andrew rushed out of the room in a frenzy.

"What the hell?" Dawn asked trying to calm Aaron who had gotten excited because Andrew had been so enthusiastic.

Xander was still staring at Sam and Dean, who both looked like they wanted to die. Finally, he cleared his throat and sounded like he was trying his damndest to contain himself. "So nice to meet you," he said, holding out his hand to each man. The nerd in him was shining through, despite the eye patch and leather coat, and his attempts to mask his feelings. She hadn't seen him this excited since "The Avengers" had come out in theaters.

"So," Buffy said, still grinning and eyeing Sam and Dean, "I gather that there's a book series written about you?"

"I'm really regretting saving Chuck's immortal ass. I'd like nothing more than to kill him right now," Dean growled quietly to Sam.

"Blasphemer," Sam muttered, clearly trying to lighten the mood, though Buffy didn't understand his comment at all.

"It would be worth it," Dean shot back.

Suddenly Andrew was bursting back into the room, causing Aaron to scream gleefully again and run away from his mother, who'd just put him back down. "Will you sign this?" he asked excitedly. He was holding out what appeared to be a novel with two manly men on the cover, the one with long hair was not wearing a shirt. They were standing in front of what was clearly the same car that Dean drove.

Buffy studied the cover and then looked up at Sam and Dean, neither of whom made any move to take the book from Andrew. She looked back at the book and burst out laughing. Dawn started laughing too, though not nearly as hard as Buffy. Most likely, she didn't want to embarrass them further since she'd just met them. Giles was trying hard not to grin.

Xander was watching the brothers intently. Probably hoping that they would take the book and sign it, so he could go get his own and do the same thing. Buffy was still laughing when Dean finally pushed the book away from him with an angry scowl on his face.

"If I see _any_ of these books again, asshat, I will make sure to burn them in front of you," he threatened. Buffy laughed harder. Andrew looked both shocked and slightly scared. He pulled the book closer to his body and held it tightly. Dean looked like the threat was genuine and Buffy couldn't blame him. She understood only too well.

"But Buffy," Dawn said, turning to her, "This is great – you aren't the only one who has a series based around them anymore." _GODDAMNIT DAWN!_ Buffy glared at her sister angrily, but Dean looked like Christmas had come early.

"I'm sorry, but what's this now?" he asked delightedly.

"It's nothing," Buffy said quickly. She was suddenly deeply regretting pushing the brothers' buttons. Sam didn't look quite as gleeful as Dean, but he did seem to be feeling more cheerful as he watched her.

Dawn ignored her and turned to the Winchesters. "Buffy has a comic book series based on her life after Sunnydale. None of the stories are true, of course, but it was still funny to discover."

"Really, Dawn? 'It was funny?' You wanna talk about how you reacted to the things that happened to _you_ in those comics?" Buffy put in pointedly.

"I'm over it," she shrugged, and she really did look over it. Buffy had practically banned those comics from HQ, but they still had made their way into the house and everyone knew about them, even if they didn't bring them up in front of Buffy.

"Oh, really?" Buffy asked skeptically, remembering the part that made Dawn cringe the most, "So, the whole 'you and Xander' relationship thing is OK with you?"

"Hey, if Xander had opened his eyes back in Sunnydale, that plotline could have been true…" Dawn said, grinning and winking at Xander. Apparently, she really _was_ over it.

"Ah… I was more blind then than I am now," Xander said wistfully, smiling. His grin widened and he looked back at Dawn, "of course, in my defense, you were kind of a brat back then."

"Touché," Dawn conceded and they both laughed. Giles rolled his eyes and went back to his desk, sitting down and starting to read again. He wasn't a big fan of those comics either – especially after they'd killed him off, only to bring him back to life as a teenager. He might have been more bitter about those comics than Buffy was.

Buffy was annoyed, this was supposed to shut both of them up, not make them discuss it more. She decided it was time to get back on topic, especially when she saw the delight on Dean's face. He'd been watching her through the entire conversation and it looked like he wanted nothing more than to continue discussing this. Buffy would have to read those stupid "Supernatural" books after all if she wanted to be able to shut him up in the future – assuming this wasn't the last time she worked with these men, which at this point, she sincerely hoped it would be.

"Sooooo, anyway," she said pointedly. She turned to Andrew who was still clutching his book defensively. "We're here for a reason. The Freeze Ray?"

"Right, of course," Andrew said nodding. "It's in lockup in the armory." Without another word, he turned and lead Buffy and the Winchester's down to the basement, suddenly all business. This was the Andrew that Buffy liked. Buffy could still hear Dawn and Xander's laughter from down the hall as they walked. _Bitches_ , she thought angrily.

There were more people around in the house as they followed Andrew. A few of the older slayers who knew her better moved quickly out of the way when they saw that she was in a bad temper. Were they really that afraid of her? She tried to move past her bad mood that Dawn had brought about. Her real issue with those comics were the way she came across in them, especially in regards to her relationships with her friends, and especially her exes. _Let it go, Buffy, be like Elsa…_

The thought made her feel better as the song started to play in her head. She continued following Andrew down into the basement where they had established the armory. The room was kept locked (for good reason) and then had an additional locked cabinet for the more dangerous weapons. The freeze ray would be there. Andrew unlocked the door to the room and led the way in. Dean got a giddy look on his face, like a kid in a candy store, though he seemed slightly put off for some reason after looking around carefully.

"Problem?" she asked. Sam got a similar look on his face as he studied the weapons around the room, though his expression was more curious than disappointed, which is what she would describe as on Dean's face.

"Where are all the guns?" Dean asked turning to look at her.

"Those things are never useful," Buffy said pointedly. Gods, she hated guns. That was one of her biggest issues with hunters – their unending fascination with guns. Give her a stake or a sword any day. Dean and Sam both looked at her in surprise.

"You don't use guns?" Sam asked, eyebrows raised. "At all?"

"Too unreliable," Buffy said, putting her hands on her hips.

"The guns are in here," Andrew said calmly, eyeing Buffy. She grunted and folded her arms instead, as Andrew turned and unlocked the wall-sized cabinet. Sam and Dean both turned and watched as the doors were opened, and the smiles that lit their faces were genuine. Yep, hunters and their guns. Buffy shook her head.

"Buffy doesn't use guns," Andrew explained. "That doesn't mean we don't occasionally use them or train with them. It's important for slayers to be at the very least proficient with all weapons."

Buffy scoffed and rolled her eyes – 22 years as a Slayer, and she'd never really seen the need for guns. The occasional rocket launcher, yes – but guns – no.

"I believe this is what you're looking for?" Andrew asked. He reached into the cabinet, opening a drawer at the bottom. Inside was a long, black gun that looked more sci-fi than anything else in the room.

After Andrew nodded his approval, Dean took the gun from drawer almost giddily. Andrew spent the next 10 minutes explaining it, before he said that he wanted to take them to the practice room to test it and make sure they understand how it works before he'll let it leave the house. Buffy shook her head at the boys and their toys and followed them to the practice room. Andrew had to shoo out a few younger slayers who'd been training and then put a practice dummy in the middle of the room – moving everything else away from it, with Sam, Dean, and Buffy's help. He explained how the gun worked for a second time, Dean becoming impatient after a minute, though Sam seemed to appreciate the information.

Once Andrew was satisfied that they knew what they're doing, they each took it in turns to fire the gun at the dummy. All three of them hit it on the first try and by the end of 15 minutes, the dummy was thoroughly frozen in ice. Buffy was feeling more confident about their chances against the Cambion with this in their hands.

She turned to the brothers. "So, boys," she said, grinning. "Feel like going hunting? We've got work to do."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Cleveland, OH  
Franklin Castle

"Wait, not so fast," Andrew said. He held up a tablet and motioned to the gun, "You'll need to sign a waiver and sign the gun out." Sam and Dean stared at him and Buffy laughed. She'd forgotten he'd developed a weapons database and sign out log. She'd been annoyed about it at the time, but eventually, she'd been forced to admit that it was useful. It allowed them to know where everything was and for how long. It helped them keep track of the slayers (to a point) as well, without having to microchip the girls (which Andrew had proposed at one point). As a result of this, they'd only ever lost track of one weapon…

Andrew took the gun back and, using his tablet, scanned in a square looking bar code that was on the bottom of the gunstock. He then handed the tablet to Sam. "I've given you both a temporary profile and restricted weapons access for our records so that you can sign out the gun," Andrew explained, all business. "If it looks like you'll be working with us more in the future, we can make the profile permanent. Please note that all weapons, including the freeze ray, are GPS trackable, so don't bother trying to keep it." He eyed the brothers suspiciously. Buffy was curious to see how the brothers would react to this.

Sam blinked at Andrew, but then looked more impressed than anything else, making a "not bad" face, and took the tablet from Andrew, signing his name with a finger. Dean was scowling and looked rueful when Sam handed him the tablet too. Dean sighed, then signed. Andrew took the tablet back, looking perfectly cheerful. Buffy wondered if Dean had been hoping to keep the freeze ray. She wouldn't put it past him…

Once all the "official" business with Andrew was completed (Buffy had to sign too, of course), he happily handed Dean the freeze ray. They left the practice room and briefly went back up to Giles' study to touch base with him before they went after the Cambion.

Giles was still sitting behind his desk. Xander, Dawn, and Aaron had already left, so Giles was alone.

"Hey Giles," Buffy said, smiling to her old watcher. He was older now, of course; all of his hair had gone grey (and was thinning, though he wouldn't admit it) and the glasses were thicker than they used to be. But he was still the same old Giles. "Any additional info you could give us on the Cambion before we head out?"

He looked up at them. His eyes crinkled slightly and the corners of his lips quirked upwards when he looked at her. He may have been very British, but it was always clear that seeing her made him happy. She missed that. Once again, she wondered if she should come out of retirement, but then she thought of the way the younger slayers looked at her: with respect and pride, but reverence and a little fear too. She'd always hated being treated differently from those who should be her equals, especially by people like Annie or Maggie, who were so much more impressive than she was. She pushed the thoughts away and refocused on the watcher.

"I couldn't find much else that you and the Winchester's hadn't already discovered for yourselves," he said, his face falling almost imperceptively.

"What about something to help us fight her mojo?" she pressed. There had to be something. "Did Will find anything?"

Sam and Dean were watching the conversation with curious faces. They wanted these answers too. It was clear that they were both worried about what would happen if the Cambion's magic hit them too hard again. She tried to hide the fear that she would have to fight all three of them by herself. She knew she could take them, especially if she had the freeze ray, but she would hate to have to hurt these men too badly. Though she suspected they could handle it, as long as she didn't kill them. She may not know much about them, but from what her friends had said and hinted at, it appeared that they were more than just your run-of-the-mill hunters.

"I'm afraid Willow and the coven have been on a… vision quest… for some days now. I haven't been able to get a hold of her. However, her wife insists that she's fine and it's not something she hasn't done many times before," Giles said, though he looked concerned.

Buffy wasn't, except that she could have used her help in this particular fight. Billie was right, Willow had done this quest thingy many times before – it was just unfortunate timing. Buffy sighed, but nodded. Who knows how long Willow would be in that; the last time it'd been almost two weeks. The Cambion could claim more than a couple victims in that time. They couldn't wait.

"Coven?" Dean asked. He looked suspicious. Right – hunters. They generally didn't like witches.

"My friend Willow. She leads a coven of witches," she explained. Sam and Dean both narrowed their eyes. "Good witches, I promise. They were all born with or studied to master their magicks, rather than getting it from a demon, and have practiced it safely over the years… well, mostly. But I promise – they're safe." Sam nodded, seeming to understand. Dean still looked wary, but he nodded too. Maybe they were a little more open minded than some of the other hunters she'd met? She hoped so.

"I gotta ask," Sam said suddenly, turning to look at both Giles and Buffy. They looked at him expectantly and he went on, "There have been 6 deaths so far by this Cambion, practically in your own backyard. And you didn't notice? Or have anyone on this already?"

Buffy felt her cheeks burn. She'd been ashamed to discover the case that the Winchester's had brought to her. He was right; they should have been all over it. But Buffy rarely paid attention to the news (especially the local news), since it just made her angry these days. Besides, a few random deaths rarely even made the local headlines anymore. She relied much more on HQ to tell her if something weird was going on. That, and since she'd retired, she'd been trying to let the other slayers handle this stuff more… Right up until recently when she'd started feeling restless. She glanced at Giles to see if he had an answer better than "I didn't notice it," which is all she would have been able to say.

Giles sighed, looking down slightly, "I'll admit that it was something we should have seen. Unfortunately, Willow has been busy with the coven and Dawn has been working more on the academic side of things recently. They're the ones who usually divine the local events. Maggie, Xander, Andrew, and I have been focused on the slayer cells around the world. I'm afraid we've been lax in watching Cleveland – it's been quiet for almost 6 years, apart from the usual vampire activity that comes with any hellmouth." It was excuses and they all knew it. This should have been caught sooner. Buffy felt ashamed. Would this have happened if she hadn't retired? Where was Maggie anyway? She hadn't seen or spoken to her since this all started several days ago.

"Where is Maggie?" Buffy asked, trying to ignore the slightly judgmental look that Dean was throwing them both.

"In Caracas. Kennedy and her team ran into Ukobach trouble and needed some assistance," Giles explained. Buffy didn't even bother to ask what a Ukobach was… There were so many types of demons and monsters out there, it would have been impossible to know them all. Unless of course, you were Giles. Or played a lot of D&D.

"What about you, sweetheart? Where were you that you didn't catch this one either?" Dean asked, turning to Buffy. It sounded like he was trying not to sound too accusatory, but it came across in his tone anyway. Sam looked curious too, though he did give his brother a warning look that Dean either didn't see or chose to ignore.

"Retired," she said simply.

Dean blinked in surprised. He clearly hadn't expected this. Sam looked just as astounded. "And that worked?" Dean finally managed to ask.

"Clearly not… I'm here, aren't I?"

"Give her a break, Dean," Sam said exasperatedly. "We've both tried to retire before. More than once."

"And look where that got us," Dean said, raising an eyebrow. Buffy's curiosity was rising again, but she let it go. _Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to have to read those books_ , she decided.

"We should get going if we're going to find that Cambion thingy any time soon," Buffy cut in. Sam and Dean both looked at her and then nodded. She turned to Giles and said goodbye, and asked him to have Willow call if she came out of her "vision quest" any time soon. He agreed and walked them out.

They walked back to the car, and after putting the freeze ray in the trunk (Buffy was shocked at the weapons collection that rested in there), they all climbed inside. Before he started the car, Dean turned so he could see both Sam and Buffy.

"Her house first?" he asked them.

"I think that would be best," Buffy agreed.

"If she's not there, then I think we probably want to case out the morgue. We don't want to attack her with other people around," Sam added.

"Can we agree that the freeze ray is probably safest in my hands when we do face her?" Buffy asked.

"I don't think so," Dean said, raising his eyebrows at her and shaking his head.

"Dean, be logical," Sam said, rolling his eyes at his brother. "Buffy was way better at fighting the Cambion's powers than either of us. I think Buffy's right, the best weapon we have against her should stay with Buffy." Dean scowled, but nodded. He turned forward and turned on the car, "La Grange" suddenly blasting out of the speakers.

Buffy could see Dean grin, as he started to imitate ZZ Top, "A haw haw haw haw…"

Buffy couldn't help it, she chuckled as she settled back into the seat.

XXXX

Dana's house turned out to be a bust – it didn't look like she even really lived there. The house was spotless and practically empty. There were some clothes in a dresser and some dishes in the cabinets, but the fridge was empty and there was barely any furniture apart from the dresser and the bed in one of the bedrooms. The bed was unmade and the sheets were sprawled on top of it. Maybe this was her hunting ground? But no, the victims were all found at home. Guess she was just sloppy on the rare occasions that she actually came back here.

It was odd that she had such a large house, but nothing in it. She could get practically anything she wanted with the powers of persuasion that she had, so why have a place like this if she wasn't really going to live there? Buffy shook her head at the questions this place presented to her. There was just no accounting for a monster's thought processes.

After leaving the large and empty house, they moved on to the morgue where Dana worked. Buffy snuck in to see if she was even there. She wasn't. Buffy asked the mortician about her and discovered that she'd called out for the last two days – ever since the fight with Sam, Dean, and herself. Could she have required healing? Buffy suspected that that wasn't it. A single direct hit from Buffy at that strength would have knocked out most creatures and Buffy'd had to hit her three times to take her out for any length of time.

No, Buffy suspected that Dana was frustrated and angry. And hunting. It was unclear from the lore if a cambion needed to kill people to maintain their powers or if it was just a side effect. Or maybe just something they enjoyed doing. She went back to the car where Sam and Dean had been waiting for her and reported what the mortician told her and her suspicions. The brothers agreed.

After a brief discussion in the car that Dean so affectionately referred to as "Baby," they decided to start checking out some local bars. If Dana was hunting, that was where they were most likely to find her. They started at "Robbie's Pub" where Dana had originally taken Sam, but she wasn't there. It was a frustrating afternoon, which eventually turned into a frustrating night as every bar they hit was filled with humans and severely lacking of one cambion.

Bored, Dean started suggesting that they stop in one of the bars for a drink. He was offering this to both Sam and Buffy, but he was looking at Buffy when he asked. _Is he asking me out for a drink? Seriously? Now?_ She shot him down every time.

After several hours of finding nothing, they were all frustrated and hungry. They hadn't eaten since some quick drive through before the morgue. They agreed they would stop at the next place that looked like it might have decent food, in addition to a bar. It took a couple places to find something that Buffy would agree too. The first place they found, Sam and Dean seemed perfectly happy with stopping at, but Buffy wasn't convinced she wouldn't get an STD simply by sitting down inside. Dean was rolling his eyes at her when she refused at the second place (still keeping an eye out for Dana, of course). The third bar, "Johnny's" seemed like a small pizza place in addition to a bar. They sat at a table and Dean eyed the Beer menu.

He smiled at Buffy as he grabbed it, "C'mon princess, let's have a drink."

She rolled her eyes at him and plucked the menu out of his fingers. She put it back, "we're on a job, Dean."

"What's one beer gunna do?"

"No. If you want one, go for it. But I'll just stick with dinner," Buffy said, trying her best to scowl at him. Dean was still eyeing her, a hint of a smirk on his face. Did he think that he was wearing her down? Sam was chuckling watching them both. When Dean looked back at the food menu in front of him, Buffy subtly checked him out. He _was_ extremely attractive. It really wasn't fair. And he knew it too. He probably wasn't used to a woman saying "no" to him. Well, he'd have to start eventually.

Their food and drinks arrived and after a few slices of a meat-lovers pizza Buffy was feeling less grouchy with Dean's flirting. He joked easily, and seemed to make light of the type of world they lived in. She watched him as he talked, and she noticed that his smile after a joke didn't always reach his eyes. Like he knew the truth, and he joked to help get through the horror of it all. Vaguely she wondered how long he'd been a hunter. Maybe as long as she'd been a slayer. At a minimum 14 years, based on the first time she'd met him. Probably longer though.

As they talked, in the back of her mind, she could feel something prickling at her brain. Like something was poking her with a blade a grass; she could barely feel it, but it was definitely there. It took her a while to even notice it, but when she did, she realized that it was her slayer sense telling her that there was something not completely human nearby.

She glanced around the bar as Dean paid the bill (out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the card he handed the waitress had the name "David Jones" on it). No one in the bar stood out to her as not human, and she tried focusing on the tickle in the back of her mind.

Sam had noticed that she'd stopped paying attention to the conversation, "Everything OK?"

"There's something wrong here," she said still studying the crowd and trying to determine from where the sensation was coming from. Finally, she located it, "Behind the kitchens," she said, eyes narrowing.

"Is your spidey-sense tingling, Peter Parker?" Dean asked jokingly. She ignored him and met Sam's eyes. He understood. They got back the receipt so Dean could sign, and they quickly followed Buffy out of the bar. She let her senses lead her to around the back behind the kitchens where they could see a couple making out in the dark.

"It's her," Buffy told them. "We need the freeze ray. Now. Before she sees us." Sam immediately, though extremely quietly, took off back to the car. Buffy stood her ground, standing in the shadows, but blocking one exit to the alley. Dean slunk away to go around the restaurant to the other side. It was a tactical maneuver and Buffy approved.

She studied the couple. The woman was definitely Dana. She was wearing a leather coat over a slinky red dress. Her hair looked like it had started in an up-do, but had recently (and maybe accidently) been taken down. She wore matching red stilettos and had her arms around the man's neck, fingers combing through his hair. The man, who looked to be in his mid-30's was passionately kissing her. His hands were all over her. He was wearing a presumably neat suit that was now messed, the tie hanging slack around his neck. He looked pale and weak, despite his fervor.

Based on what she knew about the Cambion, this was probably not the first time that Dana had met this man since he was this wan. She hunted over time, draining them of their energy, changing their personality, eventually killing them during sex. And this man didn't look like he had a lot of time left in him.

Sam reappeared next to Buffy, handing her the gun. She wasn't feeling any of this woman's pull at the moment – maybe she was too focused on her victim?

"How are you feeling?" she asked Sam.

"I'm OK for now," he whispered back. "But I can already feel her drawing me in."

"Try to stay focused, remember what she is. She must have a stronger draw on men than women, because I'm not feeling it yet. But it will come, and when it does, I'm going to need you and Dean to fight it," Buffy said urgently.

She felt more than saw Sam nod as they continued to wait for Dean to reappear. About a minute later, in the shadows, Buffy could see movement on the other side of the alley. She nodded to Sam, "NOW!" she yelled.

The alley erupted into chaos. The couple heard her shout and broke apart looking around. Dana saw Buffy running at her first and snarled. Buffy immediately felt the need to stop what she was doing and help Dana instead. She shook her head and kept going. Sam had tripped slightly when Dana noticed him, but he kept going too.

"Protect me," Dana said to the man. He growled and jumped in front of Dana, facing Buffy and Sam.

"Get him out of here!" Buffy yelled at Dean. Dana hadn't noticed him yet, so he was quickly approaching the couple from behind. He grabbed the man's shoulder spinning him around. The man swung wildly at Dean, who easily dodged the punch and threw one of his own, hitting the man in the stomach.

Buffy was aiming the gun at Dana, trying to get a good shot, but Dean and the victim were in the way.

"Dean…."

Suddenly, Dean stopped, his eyes going wide and glossy. He and the man both turned and faced Buffy and Sam.

"Shit!" Sam said. Buffy privately agreed. Dean was already under her control. Using her slayer strength and senses to guide her, she pushed Dana's mind control away and grabbed the other man by the collar. She slammed him into the wall, hard, though not hard enough to cause permanent damage. But it knocked him out, which had been the plan.

Before Buffy could do anything else though, the freeze ray was stolen out of her hands. Sam was smiling, holding the freeze ray pointed at her. _Damnit_! She'd already lost both Winchesters. This is what she had been afraid of.

First things first, she had to get them out of the way and get the freeze ray back. She dodged a punch by Dean and knocked the freeze ray out of Sam's hands, who'd been aiming to fire it.

"Why don't you stop fighting me, my dear?" Dana purred to Buffy. Buffy blinked and fought the influence that Dana was trying to harness over her. The hesitation allowed Dean to land a hit in her side and she stumbled sideways, falling into the wall. She shook her head to clear it and spun around. She _had_ to rely on her training and instincts. If she allowed this woman into her mind… _FOCUS!_

She fixated on the two men, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Dana had picked up the freeze ray and was studying it, while leaning casually against the wall. Her victim lay forgotten and still unconscious nearby. Buffy jabbed at Sam, pulling her strength back a bit (he was only human), but still hard enough to hopefully knock him out. He fell backward, but landed on his feet slightly off balance.

She had briefly forgotten that these men were much tougher humans than she was used to. Dean had pulled a gun on her, and she spun and kicked, knocking the gun out of his hand. She quickly followed this up with another kick to his chest, knocking him on his ass. Sam had regained his footing and was also pulling out his gun. _Freaking Hunters!_ She reached forward, grabbing the gun from his hand before he even had a firm hold on it. She threw it onto the roof and rolled as Dean threw himself at her.

She was back on her feet in a second and Dean was only just turning back around to face her. All three of them hesitated as they studied each other. Dean pulled out a knife.

"Guys, you know me. Stop letting her control you!" Buffy shouted at them.

"Kill her," Dana said simply, sounding almost bored. She was still studying the freeze ray curiously.

 _Crap!_ She watched Sam and Dean's eyes glaze over even more and they both advanced on her. She sighed, having been hoping to avoid this. She ran and tackled Dean, focusing on the knife in his hand. She tilted his wrist back, forcing him to drop the knife and she heard a _CRACK_ as the knife fell. She'd broken his wrist. Grabbing him by his jacket, she spun him around into his brother, who'd been trying to come up on her from behind. The two men fell into a pile against the wall, but they were quickly disentangling themselves from each other, advancing on her. Time was up and she had to end this fight.

Dean didn't even look like his wrist had been broken. Buffy jumped, higher than any human could naturally do – spinning as she did so. As she'd intended, she landed behind the brothers, just next to the wall. Before either of them could do anything, she'd kicked them both in the head. They fell.

Dana was staring at her. She looked genuinely interested for the first time. "Join me," she said, the seduction clear. But Buffy was running on adrenalin now and her thrall wasn't powerful enough to go against years of slayer instincts and training. Buffy advanced on Dana, and the cambion's eyes went wide, the surprise obvious. She'd probably never had anyone resist a direct order from her before.

As Buffy approached, she wondered if Dana had any fighting skills or strength herself. She'd probably never needed it. Hoping to avoid finding out, Buffy ran at her, reaching for the freeze ray that was still in her hands.

"What are you?" Dana whispered, clearly afraid for the first time.

"I'm the Slayer," Buffy said, pulling the gun from her grip. She kicked Dana in the gut for good measure and the cambion fell backward against the wall, hitting her head. She hit two buttons on the side of the gun, and she heard the power cell charging up. "But you can call me Elsa," Buffy added. A second later, ice burst from the barrel encasing the creature in ice. She held the shot for a full 20 seconds, making sure that she was completely enclosed. Dana's arms were frozen in front of her face.

Feeling a grin forming on her face, she spun, throwing her leg in a round-house kick, her foot making contact with the monster's frozen head. She shattered. Dead. _About damn time_. The ice quickly melted, flowing into a nearby sewer, as did Dana's bits, fortunately. She loved it when the monsters took care of their own clean up.

Buffy turned, she needed to make sure that the Winchester's were OK. She rushed over to them, but they were both still out cold. As was Dana's victim. She sighed, privately disappointed that no one had gotten to hear her "Frozen" joke. She'd have to get the brothers out of here, she suspected that they liked hospitals and cops about as much as she did. She grabbed Dean's gun which had been abandoned nearby and awkwardly shoved it into one of Dean's pockets (trying to ignore the stray thought, _is that a gun in your pocket or…)_. She didn't want to leave something like that just lying around. Then she picked them both up, one hanging over each shoulder, but it was difficult – not because of the weight, but because of their sizes. Sam especially – the man really was a giant.

She carried them both back to the car, putting them inside as gently as she could. She'd had to lay Sam down in the back, while Dean would have to sit up slightly in the front. She'd hit them pretty hard, and she wasn't sure how long they would be out. She ran back into the restaurant and told a server to call an ambulance for the man still lying in the alley. Stealing the keys to the car out of Dean's pockets, she threw the freeze ray back into the trunk, then got into the driver's seat, pulling the seat as forward as it could go. Dean's legs were just slightly pinned under the glove box. Sometimes she hated being short.

Deciding that her apartment would be the easiest and the closest, she reluctantly drove them home. _God, I hate driving_ , she thought as she cautiously pulled out onto the road. They were still out as she carried them upstairs to her apartment, one at a time, trying not to look too strangely to anyone who might see her. Fortunately, it was pretty late, hopefully not too many people were out. After she'd gotten Dean out of the car, she locked it, not trusting the neighborhood too much, and guessing that Dean would not like his "baby" being broken into – especially with the weapons in the trunk.

She laid Sam and Dean down on either side of her bed, still knocked out. She must have hit them harder than she'd meant to. She had been trying to pull her punches, but with her adrenalin pumping plus trying to fight the cambion's thrall, it had been difficult. Maybe they'd just sleep through the night.

Deciding to just go to bed (well, the couch anyway), she showered and changed, occasionally checking on the brothers. At this point, it was likely they would just sleep until morning. She was just getting some blankets for herself for the couch, when out of nowhere a man appeared.

"What the hell!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping up in surprise. She reached for an axe that she had in a nearby trunk, but the man collapsed on the floor. Her protection instincts taking over, she rushed to the man.

He was filthy – it looked like he'd been wearing the same clothes for years. Buffy couldn't even tell what the original color was. His brown (or was it blonde?) hair was dirty and when Buffy rolled him on to his back, she saw that there was thin, cut wire coming from both his bottom and top lips – they'd clearly been sewn shut at some point and the wire had not yet been removed. He was cut and bleeding from under one eye.

He wasn't breathing and though she looked for a pulse she couldn't find one. He was definitely alive though, his eyes were wide and staring at her.

"The Winchester's," he wheezed. Who – what was this man?

"Who are you?" she asked. His lack of breath and heart beat reminded her forcibly of the cambion. But no, those creatures got a heartbeat at the age of 7 and this man had to be around 40.

"I know you were with the Winchester's. Where are they?" he asked desperately. He sat up, gingerly. Then went to stand up.

"Whoa, just a minute," Buffy said, standing up and holding out her hands to stop him. He ignored her and stood up with a grunt. When he'd stood up, a large, triangular, and gold blade fell out of his sleeve and landed on the floor. The man ignored it. But Buffy had never seen it's like. In the few seconds that she'd taken to look at the weapon, the mysterious man had wobbled over to her bedroom, looking in at the still unconscious brothers.

Buffy ran to him and blocked his path, holding out her arms again, "Look, I don't know who or what you are. But they're hurt. They need rest."

"They need healing," the man said, looking like he wanted to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

"What?"

Buffy was completely lost now. What was going on? Who was this man? Was he friend or foe? How had he gotten into her apartment? And how had he gotten so hurt? Her slayer instincts told her nothing, as far as she could tell, he was human… He pushed past Buffy, surprising her with his strength. Definitely not human then, no human would have been able to push past her when she didn't want them to.

Despite herself, she watched as the man bent over Sam, who was closest. He pressed two fingers to Sam's forehead, then reached over and did the same thing to Dean. He stood back up just as Sam gasped and sat up, his brother following suit half a second later. _What the hell is this guy?_

All signs that the brothers had been injured were completely gone. The cut on Sam's cheek from where Buffy had knocked him into a wall, the bruises around Dean's broken wrist – all gone. They were breathing heavily, but when their eyes found focus they both landed on the man standing before them.

Surprise was obvious on both of their faces. They knew the man, that much was clear, but it looked like he was the last person on Earth they would ever expect to see.

Finally, Sam seemed to find his voice, "Gabriel?!"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Cleveland, OH  
Buffy's Apartment

It was most definitely Gabriel. A very damaged and broken Gabriel maybe, but it was still him. He looked worn, tired, and more than a little injured. He had cut wires hanging from his lips where they clearly had been sewn shut at some point. Privately, Dean couldn't blame whomever had done it – Gabriel did love to talk. But this…

"Gabriel… How… what…" Dean couldn't believe his own eyes. They'd believed Gabriel dead for what? 8 years? Had he been faking his death that entire time?

"Someone feel like explaining who this is, and why – no, how he's in my apartment?" Buffy asked from the doorway.

Sam made introductions, though his wide eyes never left Gabriel's face. "Buffy Summers, meet Gabriel. He's an Archangel. Gabriel –"

Gabriel cut him off, waving his hand idly, turning toward her, "Yeah, yeah. Buffy Summers – Slayer General."

"Retired," Buffy said automatically, but then she started, "Sorry… but did you say 'Archangel?'"

Gabriel snorted, but didn't respond. Dean asked, "Gabriel, where the hell have you been? We thought you died years ago, when Lucifer stabbed you."

"I am the trickster," he said, sounding almost reminiscent.

"Apparently those Marvel movies are more accurate than we thought, eh Loki?" Dean asked, unable to stop himself.

Gabriel eyed him and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, creampuff. But I've been a little preoccupied over the last 8 years. My brother might have stabbed me, but he and I both knew that only an Archangel blade can kill an Archangel."

"Or a leviathan-trippy-God-like Cas," Dean muttered.

"I figured playing along would buy me some time. But Lucifer had plans for me. Of course, thanks to my own preparations and planning, I never found out what those were. Instead, Asmodeus inherited me. He kept me caged for years, using similar magics to the cage my brothers were trapped in," Gabriel explained.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Dean stopped him. "'Thanks to your preparations?' It was Sammy who put Lucifer back in his cage."

"Thanks to me," Gabriel reminded them. "Or did you manage to figure out those rings all on your own?" The sarcasm was dripping from his voice.

"So, what happened?" Sam asked. "Asmodeus is king of hell now, so how did you get away?"

From behind Gabriel, Dean could practically see Buffy's head spinning around, but he was more focused on Gabriel at the moment who eyed both brothers skeptically. "You're a little behind the times boys. Asmodeus is no longer in charge of hell."

 _What?_ "Oh… don't say it…" Dean said, closing his eyes, shaking his head, and expecting the worst.

"Michael is now ruling hell," Gabriel stated matter-of-factly. Dean felt his mouth fall open. That was _not_ what he'd been expecting. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam was gawking too.

"Michael? As in Michael-Michael? My BFF, wants-to-wear-me-to-the-prom, Michael?" Dean finally managed to ask.

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Buffy finally managed to speak up.

"You mean Michael from the other Earth?" Sam asked Gabriel, ignoring Buffy. "He finally managed to come over?"

"'Other Earth?' Not sure what you mean by that bucko. Nope, this is none-other than my big bro… you know the one. The one _you_ trapped in the pit with Lucifer." Gabriel said.

"I need to sit down," Dean said. He wasn't usually one to let big news get to him, but this… this was too much. Dean walked past Gabriel and Buffy into what appeared to be a living room. A couch and matching recliner were positioned around a wooden coffee table. There was a set of blankets folded over the edge of the sofa, as though waiting for someone. An open kitchen area was connected to the living room, separated by an island with a marble countertop. There was sparse art on the walls, but nothing particularly exciting. The flat screen TV on the wall was a decent size, though it looked older. Taking these surroundings into account for the first time, he asked no one in particular, "Where are we?"

The others followed Dean into the next room as he sat down on the shabby leather couch. The blankets that had been on the edge fell onto the floor behind him. Buffy picked up the fallen blankets before answering and sat down next to him, "My apartment. It was the closest place and you were both injured." She looked apologetic and suddenly he remembered what happened. The appearance of Gabriel drove everything else out of his mind.

"What happened?" Sam asked her, sitting down in the recliner. He was gazing at Buffy, and he had a look that clearly said he'd forgotten all about the Cambion, and their fight with Buffy too. Gabriel looked at them curiously and leaned against a wall, crossing him arms. He was still injured, but as the minutes crept by, it appeared he was healing. Whatever injuries he'd sustained were taking time to heal. More time than it should have. He started pulling at the wires in his lips, as though he'd only just realized they were there.

"The Cambion got to you both," Buffy explained. She was still eyeing Gabriel, unsure what to make of him. From their previous conversations, Dean wasn't sure if Buffy had ever dealt with an angel before.

"Yeah, we remember that much," Dean said, feeling frustrated. Vaguely, he recalled Buffy jumping over their heads and then… Nothing.

"I had to knock you both out. I couldn't fight the Cambion and you two at the same time," Buffy said. Then she met their eyes, guilt clearly written in them, "Sorry." Dean couldn't help but be impressed. She'd managed to knock out both him and Sam without too much difficulty. He only had a vague idea of what a slayer could do, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to find out. He tried not to let his thoughts show on his face, but Sam was simply nodding as though he expected nothing less.

In the back of his mind, Dean was still trying to comprehend what Gabriel had told them. _Michael_ had taken over hell? How? Why? How had he even gotten out of the cage? Looking away from Gabriel, who's cut cheek had started to glow and repair itself, Dean realized Buffy had continued talking, explaining what had happened to the Cambion.

"…and she melted. I had a server in the bar call the police for her last victim, got you two into the car and brought you here. That's when this guy appeared out of nowhere," Buffy said, waving at Gabriel.

"Yes, this is all very fascinating, but can we get back on topic please?" Gabriel said, uncrossing his arms and walking over to them.

"And who are you again? Some kind of angel?" Buffy asked skeptically. She cocked an eyebrow at him and he grinned, looking more like his old self every second. "And… are you healing yourself?" Buffy's eyes went wide as she studied Gabriel.

"Being an _Arch_ angel has it's perks," Gabriel shrugged. He grinned at Buffy's confused face again and he bent down, picking up her hand and kissing it, "My name is Gabriel, mon chéri. And can I just say… it's an honor." He winked at her. Buffy's cheeks went slightly pink.

Dean rolled his eyes, "C'mon, can we please focus? How did Michael get out of the cage?" Sam was suddenly sitting up straighter and staring at Gabriel, waiting for the answer.

Gabriel stood straight up again, looking mostly healed, though he was still disgustingly filthy. "Yes, yes," he said, sighing and breaking eye contact with Buffy, turning instead to the brothers. "Don't ask me how he did it. All I know is that Asmodeus was suddenly gone and Michael was freeing me from my cell. I guess somehow, again don't ask me how, he'd heard that Lucifer's taken over heaven and it was enough to inspire him to break out. I didn't even know it was possible for him to break out."

"LUCIFER'S TAKEN OVER HEAVEN?!" Dean shouted. Both he and Sam were suddenly on their feet staring at the old trickster. Buffy's mouth had dropped open and she was staring too.

"Wow, you really are out of the loop…" Gabriel stared back at them. "How do you not know this?"

"When did Lucifer take over heaven? Why didn't the angels stop him?" Sam asked urgently. Then he turned to Dean, "You don't think Cas knew this and didn't tell us, do you?"

"I'll kill him if he did," Dean growled. He turned back to Gabriel who's eyebrows were raised at them.

Gabriel took a deep breath and continued, "It's my understanding that the angels didn't try to fight him. With Dad gone and no one in charge upstairs, it was pretty easy. He just had to promise to return their wings to them and maybe make a few extra winged douches. I will say this, one benefit to being locked up in a magical prison in hell…" the light in the room flickered, and the dark shadow of large wings behind Gabriel filled their vision. "…I missed the fall." He was grinning.

Dean's head was spinning. Lucifer was ruling heaven, Michael was ruling hell, and Gabriel was alive. What kind of effed up world did he just wake up in? He turned to Sam, hopeful, "There's no chance we're in a different universe again, is there?"

"'Fraid not, Deano," Gabriel sighed. _Damn._ Dean would be willing to take the crazy universe where their lives were a TV show again over this. Well… maybe not that.

"So, what's Michael's plan? Why break you out?" Sam asked. His voice was resigned and he sat down again, looking at the floor. He was tired. Dean mimicked him and sat down too.

"That's obvious, isn't it? He wanted my help. To take down my brother. Again. Family squabbles are just the worst. Well," Gabriel grinned, looking at the two brothers, "you two would know." Sam and Dean both grunted.

"And you didn't agree? To help stop Lucifer, I mean?" Buffy asked. Dean glanced at her. It was clear that she was trying to follow the conversation to the best of her ability. Dean was shocked she wasn't asking more questions.

" _Hell no_ ," Gabriel said, shuddering. "Oh, did I leave out the best part?" He looked at each of their faces and then grimaced, "Michael is bat-shit crazy. Years in the cage with Lucifer will do that to a guy."

"Awesome," Dean said, scowling and looking at the Archangel. "So, basically, we've got two insane Archangels, ruling heaven and hell. Both probably determined to kill the other… again. And they're both crazier than they used to be?"

"That just about sums it up, yeah," Gabriel said. "I will say that Michael seems to think that Lucifer still isn't at full strength. He's still recovering from his brief stint as a human. Though, he's gaining strength fast. If Michael is going to make a move, he's going to do it soon, before Lucifer can regain too much grace. And you two chuckleheads are right smack in the middle of all this. Again."

"Wait, what?" Sam asked. "I know Lucifer is looking for his son, and he knows that we know where he is, but why would Michael be concerned about us? If Lucifer and Michael are looking to duke it out again, what do we have to do with that?"

"I told you, Michael's crazy. He… uh… he still thinks that you're Lucifer's vessel," Gabriel admitted, looking at Sam. "And, I wouldn't be too surprised, if he came after you, hoping for a stronger vessel this time," he added, turning to Dean. He and Sam were staring at Gabriel, disbelief on both of their faces. Were they really facing this crap again after all these years? All because Michael's lost his marbles?

"What's a vessel?" came Buffy's voice.

"Angels have to take human hosts to walk the earth. Kinda like possession, only the hosts are willing. Mostly," Gabriel explained, shrugging. Buffy looked shocked at this news.

"Michael still thinks that Sammy is Lucifer's vessel?" Dean asked incredulously, finally finding his voice. A thought occurred to Dean and his eyes widened even more, "What about Adam?"

"Who?" Gabriel asked, confused.

"Our brother," Sam growled. "Michael's vessel, trapped in the cage with them this whole time. Is Michael still in him?"

"Oh… Yeah, he's long gone, guys. His mind was destroyed years ago in the cage. I highly doubt there's anything left at this point. Michael's just wearing a shell now. Sorry," Gabriel said. Dean couldn't tell if Gabriel truly was sorry or not. His face was completely blank, but he thought (or maybe imagined) he saw some sympathy behind his eyes. He let it go; Dean hadn't been very hopeful on that front anyway.

Looking over, Dean saw that Buffy was staring from one man to the next, clearly trying to understand what the hell was going on. Dean looked back at the ground, trying to comprehend all this. Cas. They needed to talk to their angel.

"We've gotta call Cas. He needs to know," Dean finally said. He looked over at his brother and Sam nodded, pulling out his phone. Sam called Cas' number, putting the phone on speaker.

While it rang, Dean turned Gabriel, "How did you find us? I thought Cas had essentially blocked us from angels' sight?"

"He did. But I'd heard a rumor that you'd been spotted with the Slayer recently. Spies from both heaven and hell watch the Slayer, just in case. I was able to track you through her," he explained.

Cas' phone went to voicemail, "This is my voicemail. Make your voice… a mail." Frustrated, Sam hung up and dialed again.

"There's more than 1 slayer now, surely heaven and hell must know that," Buffy said, sounding frustrated.

"Sorry, darlin'. You're really the only one they ever cared about," Gabriel said, looking at her with pity.

Buffy growled in her throat, and Dean looked up at her surprised. Through gritted teeth, she said, "I'm retired."

"Hanging out with the Winchesters? How's that retirement working out for ya?" Gabriel asked with a knowing grin.

"This is my voicemail. Make your voice… a mail."

"Cas, it's Sam. We need to talk to you urgently. Call us back!" Sam said, hanging up the phone quickly. He turned to Dean, "This isn't good. He should be answering. He wasn't even supposed to leave the bunker."

"If we're facing both of those dicks again, we're going to need Jack's help more than ever. We need to get him back," Dean said, focusing. His brain was starting to put everything together and come up with a solution and every possibility brought him back to Jack. "Try Donny," Dean said to Sam.

Sam called Donatello instead, who answered. "Sam! I'm glad you called, I need more chicken and Cas isn't here."

"Where's Cas?"

"I don't know," Donatello said, sounding annoyed. "He went out a while ago and hasn't come back."

"How long ago?"

"I don't know… I've been busy," he sounded confused. "Maybe… a day… or two?"

"Two days?" Dean shouted at the phone. "Why didn't you call us?"

"I don't have time to babysit an angel, boys!" Donatello shouted right back. "Do you want this damn demon tablet translated or not?!"

Sam and Dean exchanged nervous looks and then both turned to Gabriel who looked thoughtful. Buffy looked confused again. Sam spoke into the phone, clearly forcing his voice to calm, "Donatello, we're done with our case here, so we'll be heading back shortly. Can you let us know immediately if Cas shows back up?"

"Yeah, yeah," came Donatello's impatient voice. He hung up on them after that.

"He seems cheery," Buffy said idly.

"What are you two doing with the demon tablet?" Gabriel asked suspiciously.

"Trying to find a way into another universe where our mother and Jack are trapped," Sam explained. "The angel tablet had a spell to get there, so we're hoping that the demon tablet might have one too."

Gabriel stared at them. Finally he said, "This Jack… is that Lucifer's son?" The hunters both nodded. Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he studied them, "and you trust him?"

Sam glanced at Dean before answering, but Dean knew the answer too. Despite his initial suspicions and his questionable parentage, Jack was a good kid. They could trust him. Sam said as much and Dean found himself nodding.

Gabriel looked at them curiously, but then nodded too, "OK, boys. If you say so."

"Just throwing this out there," Buffy said. "Now, I'm new to all this angel business, but Michael, he's another Archangel, right?" They all nodded and she went on, "It sounds like he's the top dog trying to stop the devil, who's apparently taken over heaven… Shouldn't we, I don't know, help him?"

They all looked at her, but Gabriel is the one who answered, "Michael doesn't give a Rugaru's left asscheek about humanity. He was willing to destroy half the world to take down Lucifer last time – all because it was 'daddy's plan.' And now, he's crazy on top of that. Believe me, you can't trust Michael."

"And we can trust you? These two wackos that we've been discussing are your brothers," Buffy pointed out.

"How _did_ you get away from Michael?" Dean asked, suddenly suspicious. "If he wanted your help, he would have killed you before letting you say no. Believe me, I know."

"Hellooooo," Gabriel pointed to himself, "I'm still the trickster. I faked my own death and got the hell out of there. Took me a couple days to get a lead on you, but once I did I came right here to warn you two yahoos." _Has he been healing himself that entire time?_ Dean thought amazed, _He must have been in awful shape if he's been healing for 2 days and still looks like this_. Dean shook his head at the disturbing image.

"But you said that not even a regular angel blade can kill you," Sam said.

"True. And Michael certainly knows that. Whatever happened with Asmodeus, Michael got his hands on the Archangel blade that Lucifer had taken from me. Asmodeus had been planning to make me use it to kill Lucifer. All I needed was 1 second's distraction to swap out the real blade with a fake and when Michael went to kill me, voila! Fortunately, Michael's sanity, or lack thereof, meant a lot of distractions. He was talking to an invisible someone half the time. The real blade is over there," he pointed to a spot on the floor, but there was nothing there.

"You looking for this?" Buffy asked, pulling a gold, triangular blade from behind her back. She was grinning slightly, looking pleased with herself.

"Nice trick," Gabriel said begrudgingly.

"Gabriel," Sam said. "Help us. With your help, we can get to the other Earth and save Jack and Mom. Between you and Jack, I'm sure that we can defeat both Michael and Lucifer. We've done it before."

"You didn't really defeat them. You locked them away, with my help, I might add," Gabriel pointed out.

"Forget that. Will you help us?" Dean asked.

"Sorry boys. I only came here to warn you. Wanted to give you a fair chance. I'm still on humanity's side after all."

"Gabriel, you can't bow out on this one. Not again," Dean said, getting annoyed. This was just like him, he'd warn and he'd plot, but when it came down to it, he'd run. _Coward_. _He's still too afraid to challenge his brothers._

"I have no interest in facing either of my brothers again. They've both gotten way too close to killing me for my comfort. But I'm rooting for you. Good luck!" Gabriel said. And with the sound of wings, he was gone.

"8 years… and he's still a huge dick!" Dean shouted at the ceiling. He didn't know if Gabriel could even still hear him, but it made him feel better.

"Dean, we've gotta move. If this is all true, we have to find a way to the other Earth. And we need to find Cas," Sam said, standing up. He looked anxious.

"I didn't really follow all of that, but I think my team could probably help. Tell you what, let's go back to HQ in the morning – we have to return the freeze ray anyway. Maybe the team can help you find a way to this 'other Earth.' My friend Willow is the most powerful wicca in the world. If anyone can help open a door to another universe, I bet she can," Buffy said. "And Giles might know of ways into other universes. The Slayer Org's resources are at your disposal pending one thing."

"Which would be?" Dean asked. He was hesitant to get any of her team involved, but it sounded like it was already somewhat known that Buffy was with the Winchesters. At this point, it might be safer to keep her around. Safer for her, and safer for them, he begrudgingly admitted to himself. And if her friend came even close to the kind of power that Rowena had, they could use that.

"You explain what the hell we just talked about," Buffy said, sounding frustrated. Dean couldn't help it, he grinned and sat back down, knowing that this might take a while to explain.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know that this chapter is a bit exposition heavy, but I needed to establish the background for the rest of the story. Sorry about that. I hope people aren't too disappointed that I'm taking the story in this direction. Fair warning that from this point forward, the story will be moving toward resolving the issues surrounding the Winchesters in Season 13. But, obviously, I'll be taking this in a slightly different direction. As I said in the prologue, this story takes place after S13E13, which is the first time it's revealed that Gabriel was still alive. From there, this will be AU.

I was a bit nervous about taking the story in this direction, but I felt it had to happen given where Sam and Dean were in their stories. I hope you all enjoy where its going as I've been really enjoying writing this story. I have the whole outline already written and I intend to continue posting at least one chapter per week.

I do want to thank everyone whos favorited, followed, or reviewed this story! It really provides me with inspiration to keep going :-)

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and predictions as to where this will be going...


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
Cleveland, OH  
Buffy's Apartment

The three tired fighters talked late into the night. It was nearly 3 in the morning when Sam and Dean finished explaining the situation to Buffy, who'd asked a lot of questions. Their story was crazy and it sounded like their lives were just as insane as hers (well, as insane as it _used_ to be). It was clear that there was a lot more to the tale – things they were leaving out, but Buffy thought she understood now.

A heavenly war – that's what they were facing. And they were going to get her help whether they liked it or not. It's not like she had anything better to do. Besides, she'd enjoyed herself more in the last few days than she had in the last year.

When Sam looked at his watch and announced that they should try to at least get a little sleep before returning to HQ in the morning, Buffy and Dean both agreed. They all stood up and Sam and Dean said that Buffy should take her own bed. They could crash on the couch and recliner. Buffy tried to argue that they had been hurt, but they pointed out that Gabriel had healed them and that they'd slept in far worse in their time. And it _was_ her apartment, so she agreed.

Sam stretched, looking even taller than usual, but then a frown formed on his face and he reached behind his back. "Where's my gun?" he asked, looking at her.

She felt her cheeks burn. "Oh… uh… well, you kinda pulled it on me during our fight. So I threw it onto the roof of the bar," she explained. Dean yawned, looking like he really wanted nothing more than to crash for a while. Gabriel might have healed them, but they were still exhausted.

"Oh, we're going to get that back before we leave," Sam said, sounding angry and turning to Dean.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean said, waving a hand and looking like he expected nothing less. Then he grinned, "I suppose that's what you get for pulling a gun on a slayer. Dumbass."

Sam frowned, his nostrils flaring in annoyance. "Bite me."

Buffy shook her head at their bickering. They really did fight like an old married couple. Or brothers who'd been together way too long. It was kinda adorable and she found herself chuckling.

"Go to bed, guys. We can pick up your gun on the way to HQ in the morning. We probably shouldn't sleep too late. We will need to get a move on if we want to get ahead of those angels and whatever they may be planning," Buffy said.

"'We?'" Dean repeated. "Don't tell me you're coming with us on this too?"

"Yup," Buffy said. "And you can't stop me." Dean looked like he was about to argue and Buffy went on, cutting him off, "No, seriously. You physically can't stop me. I can beat you both, remember?"

Dean narrowed his eyes at her, "why?" Sam looked thoughtful as he looked at Buffy, waiting for an answer.

"Because you'll need my help. And with what you're facing, you're going to need all the support you can get," Buffy explained. She left out the part that she enjoyed their company and had secretly missed the adventure.

"People around us tend to get hurt," Dean said, shaking his head. "Or killed. Trust me, you don't want to be near us when this shit goes down."

Buffy tilted her head at him, considering. She glanced at Sam, who just looked sad. They both considered it true then, and probably blamed themselves for whatever crap they've seen in their pasts – the people they've lost. Buffy could relate. And all the stuff they told her, about being chosen, she could certainly understand that too, better than most. These two were just as alone in the world as she was. It made her feel…

She shrugged at the brothers and let her thoughts trail off. "I've died before. Believe me, I can handle it. You don't need to worry about me."

The Winchester's stared at her, both looking genuinely surprised. But they didn't ask. Finally, Sam and then Dean both nodded. She smiled and went back into her room where she climbed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

XXXX

"So, that's basically the deal," Sam finished lamely. Giles' study was crowded with people who'd just heard the problems surrounding the Winchesters. The looks that met their gazes varied from shocked, to impressed, to wary.

Willow's vision quest, it turned out, had ended the night before and she'd come back to HQ to discover Buffy's plan to stick with the Winchesters. Willow was studying the boys carefully, "Winchester… No relation to Henry Winchester, by chance?"

"Our grandfather, why?" Sam answered looking surprised at the unexpected and seemingly unrelated question. Buffy was curious too; Willow's first question had nothing to do with the issues at hand.

"Came across his name in some old spell work related to the Coven. He was well known by some of the older members," Willow explained.

"How old are these members?" Dean asked. "Our grandfather disappeared in the '50s."

"Old," Willow said simply. "So back to your situation, this 'angel' you're looking for, Castiel. I think there's a spell in the Coven's archives that might be able to help locate him. The reason I asked about your grandfather is because he invented it. It was meant to help the Men of Letters locate demon's based on their hosts. It would use a bit of their DNA to locate the demon for exorcising. I know that angels are like demons in that they need human hosts to walk the earth. Since that is the case, we should be able to use the same spell to locate your friend."

Buffy stared at Willow. Dean had mentioned the 'Men of Letters' as well. What the hell were they? Was this another thing that she didn't know about because she sucked at the research thing? And their _grandfather_ had been known for inventing spells? Guess it really was a family business with the Winchesters.

Sam was looking curiously at Willow too, "So, what would you need to find him?"

"Anything that might have his DNA. Hair, a fingernail, blood?" Willow suggested.

"I don't think we have anything like that," Dean said, briefly glancing at Sam who shook his head. "It's not like he keeps a hairbrush at the bunker, and angels don't exactly like to keep their blood lying around."

"What about Claire?" Sam suggested, turning to Dean. Dean's eyes widened in surprise, but then he looked thoughtful. Sam looked back at Willow. "Would next of kin do? We know where Jimmy – that's Cas' host's name – we know where his daughter lives. Would something from her work?"

Willow looked thoughtful, but then nodded, "Yes, I think that would work fine."

Buffy couldn't stop herself, "And this Claire doesn't mind that her father is trapped inside his own body, which is being used and controlled by an angel?" She couldn't keep the accusation out of her voice. The idea that angels possessed people like demons did, disgusted her. Even if they were willing slaves, they were still slaves.

"Uh…" Sam looked uncomfortable, "Well, no. But Jimmy's body – and Cas – were destroyed years ago by Lucifer. Cas was brought back, the physical body restored, but Jimmy… uh… didn't survive. Cas continues to use his form, which is very much his own at this point. Claire knows and understands this, even if she doesn't really like it."

Dean was scratching unconsciously behind his ear, not meeting her eyes. They knew it was an awkward topic, but it was something they'd apparently been dealing with for years. Buffy still didn't like it, but at least this Jimmy's soul was a peace now – whatever that meant – probably heaven if he'd given his body over to an angel.

Willow eyed Buffy, maybe to see if she'd continue arguing, but when Buffy said nothing, she turned back to the Winchesters. "If Jimmy was Cas' host, and Claire was Jimmy's daughter, then yes, we should be able to use her DNA to find Castiel."

"Then I think we need to take a trip to Sioux Falls," Dean said. Most of the others were looking at him blankly, "South Dakota," he added.

Everyone agreed and it was decided that Willow and Buffy would be joining them: Willow to do the spell, and Buffy for back up. When the Winchesters got up to leave, Andrew grabbed Dean by the arm. From the look on his face, Buffy guessed that Dean was afraid Andrew would ask for his autograph again. Instead, he wanted to make sure that the freeze ray was being properly returned before they left. Dean scowled at the watcher, but nodded, going back to the Impala to get the gun – Andrew following him.

Sam was in the corner talking to Dawn, Giles, and Annie about their history with the angels, and Willow had run back to her study to pack up some things. That left Buffy and Xander to catch up on the other side of the room.

"So, road trip with these hunters?" Xander asked her.

"I guess so, any idea how far away Sioux Falls, South Dakota is?" she asked.

"Like 15 hours, I would guess? I hope you packed warm."

"I wasn't expecting such a big detour. Crap, maybe Willow can poof me up some extra clothes," Buffy mused.

"Buff, what's this really about?" Xander asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She felt like his eyepatch was judging her. Stupid pirate.

"What do you mean? You heard them, they need my help in something this big."

"Uh uh, not gunna fly," Xander said, shaking his head and smiling. "I've known you too long. There's something else going on here. Something with you. You've seemed down lately. Is this your way of telling us you want to come back to HQ?"

He did know her too well. And he'd always been good at reading her, even when people like Willow and Dawn couldn't. He saw too much, even with only one eye. "No, it's not that. I've been bored. And you're all off living your lives. Moving on with your lives. And I feel useless. You know I didn't even realize there was a case in this town before the Winchesters showed up? People died, and that's on me. I should have seen it, stopped it."

"You can't know everything that's going on in an entire city, Buff. You couldn't have even done that in a small town like Sunnydale, let alone a city like Cleveland."

"But I wasn't even looking. I've been restless, bored, but more than that, I feel like I haven't been doing my job. Maybe getting out there and saving the world with these guys will get me out of this funk," Buffy said thoughtfully. She kept an eye on the others to make sure they weren't listening.

"And the fact that these guys are built and extremely good looking, I'm sure has nothing to do with it," Xander said, teasingly.

"Once again, making me question your sexuality, Xand," Buffy shot back. Xander laughed, which made Buffy smile. He was always good at this, making her feel comfortable and warm.

"I've got Annie," he said, a glint in his good eye, "What do I need with two brawny hunters?"

"I don't know your life," Buffy teased, causing him to chuckle. He shook his head and then looked at her seriously again, "Honestly though, Buff. Be careful. You know that we're all always here for you. And you don't really know these guys."

"Thanks, big bro," Buffy said sincerely, punching him in the arm. A little too hard, apparently, because he winced and grabbed his arm. _Oops_. "Sorry… Oh, and can I ask you a favor before I go," she lowered her voice conspiratorially. He looked surprised, but leaned in to listen, and she continued. "Can I borrow a few of those 'Supernatural' books for the road?"

Xander stood up straight again and laughed heartily. He nodded his head still grinning and left the room briefly to grab the books for her.

XXXX

The trip to Sioux Falls was uneventful and long. Willow and Buffy both sat in the back seat of the Impala listening to Dean sing along, hum along, or drum on the steering wheel to whatever music he was listening to at the time. Eventually, Willow pulled out some earbuds to listen to her own music. Buffy mostly just played games on her phone. She would have liked to read one of the books Xander had given her, but reading in the car always made her sick. Besides, there was a chance one of the brothers would have seen this and she didn't want them to know that she had the books with her. They stopped a few times to gas up and get some food, but for the most part nothing exciting happened and no one really talked.

It was approaching midnight and they were still a few hours out, when Sam told Dean it was time to stop for the night. It's not like they could pop in on Claire in the middle of the night anyway. Dean agreed and pulled into the next motel they saw. The Winchesters paid for two rooms and Buffy and Willow found themselves in a dank room that smelled slightly of mold.

Buffy eyed the bed warily. Is this what the Winchesters were used to? From what she generally knew of hunters and from some of the stories the brothers had told her, they were on the road a good portion of the time and were generally forced to stay in crappy motels. Buffy hadn't considered that when she'd decided to join them. Of course, they weren't going to be _staying_ on the road. They were just making a pitstop to find this angel, Castiel. Then they would be off to where the brothers lived.

 _Where do they live?_ she suddenly wondered. How had she not asked that question before? Dean had mentioned something about a "bunker?" What kind of bunker could that be? _Oh gods! Do they live in a small bomb shelter or something?_ _Underground with no windows or fresh air? One room with no privacy? Do they even have a real bathroom?_ _What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ Buffy could already feel herself getting claustrophobic. And who knew how long it would take them to find their friend. Maybe a long road trip was a good thing after all. Motels would probably be better than cots in a one-room shelter…

Buffy was starting to wonder if she'd really thought this through, when Willow plopped down on one of the beds. "Cozy," she said, looking around and studying the room.

"Uh huh," Buffy said, raising an eyebrow at the redhead.

"Soo… the Winchesters are cute," Willow observed.

"How would you know?"

"I'm not blind. Besides, Dean is interested, I can tell," Willow grinned.

"He's interested in anything that can walk and has boobs… You know, between you, Dawn, and Xander, I'm starting to think you guys planned this, just to get me laid. And also… ewe!" Buffy said, sitting down on her own bed and brushing dust off the cover.

"Oh please, Buff," Willow said, lying back and looking up at the ceiling. "Seriously, how long's it been? You need some fun in your life. That man could provide it."

"That's none of your business, and again I say, ewe."

"Best friend privileges," Willow said grinning, "it's totally my business."

"Still not answering."

"That long, huh?"

Buffy sighed and laid back on her own bed. "It's late," she said. "I want a shower and then sleep." She got up and grabbed her bag from the chair that she'd thrown it on when they entered the room.

"Might want to make it a cold shower," Willow called.

Buffy slammed the bathroom door behind her and said, "Shut up." She distinctly heard chuckling from the other room. _Bloody Witch_.

The shower was surprisingly hot and had decent water pressure. It helped her relax a little after the annoying conversation with her best friend. When she got out, she rubbed the steam off the mirror, noticing the older woman reflected back at her. When had she gotten those laugh lines? She'd have to go back to the salon soon too; among the blonde hairs, she could see more than a couple silver ones mixed in. How old was she now? 36? No, she'd just turned 37. Sometimes she flat out forgot her age.

And Willow was right, of course. She hadn't been in any kind of real relationship in years. Maybe she could… _no no no, Summers. Don't even go there_. Her mind went there anyway. Stupid brain.

The next morning (after a late start, mostly thanks to Buffy dragging her feet – she wasn't used to late nights anymore), the hunters, the Slayer, and the witch had a quick breakfast at a nearby diner and drove the rest of the way to Sioux Falls, arriving in the late afternoon. Buffy found herself standing on the doorstep of a very normal looking suburban house with, strangely, a sheriff's truck parked in the driveway. Sam rang the doorbell and a young woman with long black hair and pale skin answered the door. She was wearing nursing scrubs.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," came a voice from someone standing behind the younger woman. A middle-aged woman with a pixie cut and a friendly face stood behind the nurse. She was wearing a sheriff's uniform and a smile.

Sam and Dean hugged both women and was invited inside. Both brothers were smiling genuinely and seemed more than happy to see these women. Buffy and Willow awkwardly followed the group inside before they were formerly introduced. The older woman was Sheriff Jodie Mills and the younger woman's name was Alex.

"You guys staying for dinner?" Jodie asked cheerfully.

"Not sure if we have time for it, Jodie," Dean said. "We're looking for Claire, she around?"

"'Fraid not, she's on a hunt right now. Vamps have been seen in the area," Jodie said. Buffy perked up at that. She wouldn't mind going on a quick vamp hunt. It would break up all of the driving monotony they'd undoubtedly have to continue doing.

"She want some help? We've got a Vampire Slayer with us after all," Sam said, indicating Buffy.

"No way, seriously?" Jodie turned to study Buffy. "Tiny little thing for a slayer, aren't ya? Well, you'd never guess the power under Claire either, I suppose. I'm sure she'll appreciate the help, even if she says otherwise. Gotta warn you though, these vamps are the weird kind. Pulvis vamps from what I've read. Never actually met one before. Didn't even know they were real until recently."

"The hell is a Pulvis vamp?" Dean asked. Buffy was curious too; there were different "kinds" of vampires? Since when? Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean, but motioned for Jodie to explain.

"You've probably never seen one because they tend to stick to hellmouths. Their faces physically change when they become a vampire - but only some of the time, I'm still not clear on that - and the whole stake through the heart and sunlight things, all actually work on them," she said.

"As opposed to…" Buffy prompted.

"Wait, there's a breed of vampire that you can actually stake? Like with wood?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yeah, but beheading them works too, so most hunters just stick to that method. The easiest way to know the difference though is that after you kill them, they turn into dust," Sam explained. "But like Jodie said, they tend to stick to hellmouths, which hunters generally avoid and leave to the slayers, so we've never come across them."

 _How the hell did I not know that there were different kinds of vampires?_ Buffy couldn't believe this. But then, she'd rarely, if ever, left a hellmouth, so maybe it made sense. She briefly glanced at Willow who didn't look like this was news to her at all.

"There's also the fact that since the rise of the Slayer Organization, Pulvis Vamps were practically wiped out around 2004. Iusto Vamps, which is what you're probably used to, were not very common before that, but when the slayers started their war on the Pulvis', the Iustos began to rise and make more of themselves, becoming far more common in recent years. They still avoid hellmouths though, I guess it's a territory thing," Willow added knowingly. Jodie and Sam both nodded.

Dean briefly met Buffy's eyes and she instantly knew that she wasn't alone in finding this news surprising. Well still, a vamp is a vamp. And this kind was a Pulvis vamp apparently, which is what she was used to, so that would be fine.

"OK then," Sam said, turning back Jodie. "We can meet up with Claire and help her out. And then, maybe she can help us find Cas."

"You lose your angel again?" Jodie asked, looking slightly amused. Apparently this wasn't a completely uncommon occurrence.

"Yeah, he's gone off the radar again. But he should have checked in by now, and there's some… big stuff going down that we'll need his help on, so gotta find him," Dean said.

"How's Claire gunna help?" Jodie asked curiously. They briefly explained about the spell that Willow had that would help them track down Cas. Jodie nodded, understanding.

The topic then turned back to the hunt that Claire was on. From the sounds of it, this girl was pretty young, early 20s at most, and they were all letting her hunt on her own? Was that common? Maybe hunting was like slaying – a young person's game, because most don't get to live long enough to become Buffy or the Winchester's ages.

Jodie gave them directions to a nearby neighborhood where Claire was apparently looking for clues into the vamp's hideout. Dean did finally manage to get Claire on the phone after several tries from both Winchesters and Jodie, and she said that she thought she'd tracked them down to St. Michael's Cemetery (which didn't bode well in Buffy's eyes, considering they were up against the Archangel Michael).

It was late afternoon, but dusk was already starting to fall when they met Claire. She was a short girl with blonde, braided hair and a face that exuded attitude. She hugged the brothers and greeted Willow and Buffy kindly enough, but her eyes shifted often – like she was slightly suspicious of everyone. They all turned and started walking into the large cemetery, Sam, Dean, and Claire holding machetes while Buffy pulled out her stake. Dean eyed it with amusement; he wasn't fully convinced that it would actually kill a vampire. Buffy would enjoy proving him wrong.

They walked through the cemetery for about 10 minutes and Buffy started to be able to sense the vamps nearby and she told the others so. The sun had set at this point, and chances were that the vamps would be coming out to play any time.

"Claire, do you know how many vampires we're looking at here?" Sam asked, after Buffy told them what she'd sensed.

"Not sure, big group though. I'm actually kinda glad you showed up – I'm not sure I could have taken them all by myself," Claire said, as though this was a shameful thing to admit.

"If it's more than a couple, definitely not, kiddo," Dean said. "I hope that you would have backed off and called Jodie and Donna for backup. Please tell me that you do do that when necessary." He turned to her and looked into her eyes seriously. _Older brother type, then… interesting._

"Of course, I'm not a complete moron," she said huffily. Claire turned back to Buffy. "Can you tell where they are?"

Buffy closed her eyes and reached out with her senses. She pointed. "I'd say at least 8 in there, probably more," she said, her eyes still closed. It was hard to get an exact count when there was more than half a dozen or so, even for Buffy.

"Willow, do you have a weapon?" Sam asked, eyeing the redhead. Buffy grinned to herself at the question.

Willow smiled knowingly at the hunter, "Oh, don't worry, big guy. I'll be fine." The three hunters looked at her curiously, but didn't say anything more as they approached the large mausoleum that Buffy had pointed to. Sam and Dean rushed forward, each moving to either side of the door in a practiced maneuver.

Buffy, Claire, and Willow stood back as Sam and Dean silently counted to three and then Sam quickly pulled open the door in one swift motion, Dean rushing in. Sam quickly followed behind him, Buffy right on his heels.

It appeared that they'd caught the vamps by surprise and Sam and Dean had both decapitated a vampire each already, poofing them into dust. Dean blinked in surprise as the cloud of ash fell to the ground, but Buffy didn't have time to study his surprised face. She'd rushed into the dusty room and was fighting hand-to-hand with two vamps. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Willow muttering under her breath, hand held out to one of the vamps, which promptly burst into flames.

The vamp to her right threw a punch at her head, which she ducked under, punching him in the gut. The brunette vamp on her left tried to grab her by the shoulders, but Buffy grabbed her hands and twisted, spinning the vamp toward the wall. She quickly tightened her grip on her stake and plunged it into the creature's heart. She exploded and Buffy turned to face the other, who had recovered from her blow.

He lunged for her, but then his head was rolling away from his body before he burst into dust too. Claire was standing behind him, holding her machete, a grin on her face. Buffy nodded appreciatively and looked around. Sam was wrestling with a vamp on the ground, his machete lying nearby. The creature was hissing at Sam, trying to reach his neck with his fangs. Willow had just sent another vampire up in flames and it screamed as it died. That left one vamp that was cowering in a corner, being boxed in by Willow, Dean, and Claire.

Buffy moved to help Sam, who was still wrestling with the other vamp. Sam was larger than the blonde monster and finally managed to pin it to the floor, breathing heavily. Sam tried to reach for the machete, but the blonde took his momentary distraction to try to gain the upper hand again, head butting Sam, who grunted but maintained control and pushed the vamp back down.

Buffy quickly came up next to them. "Sam, off," she ordered. Sam, thankfully, obliged and the second he was clear, she drove her stake home. The vamp became a pile of dust in seconds.

"Thanks," Sam said, brushing himself off.

"Don't mention it," she said, smiling at him. Looking around, they saw that Dean and Willow had allowed Claire the pleasure of cutting off the last vamp's head. Piles of dust littered the room.

"11 vamps," Willow said. "Not bad, team." Looking at the group, Buffy saw that Dean had a small scrape on his hand, but everyone else looked relatively unscathed. Claire in particular was looking very pleased with herself.

"Dinner at Jodie's?" Dean asked the group cheerfully. There was laughter and general agreement, and they all went back to Sherriff Mill's house.

Buffy was pleased to discover that Jodie and Alex had planned a full spread for them after the hunt: chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, wine, and more. And it was surprisingly good. There was laughter around the table as stories were swapped, mostly by Jodie and Willow. It seemed like a real home, and Buffy loved every second of it.

Buffy had warm food belly and was sipping her wine when Dean grew serious, looking between Claire and Willow. They'd already explained to Claire why they were there and Claire was perfectly willing to help as soon as she had food in her stomach.

"So, I think maybe it's time to find Cas," Dean said. The others agreed and they walked into the living room, where Willow had already set up a large map of the US on the floor, various ingredients waiting nearby.

"If he's not in the US, I've brought a global map that we can try. Hopefully he hasn't gone too far; not sure what we can do if he's in Siberia or something, though…" she said.

Claire pulled out a few hairs and handed them to Willow who carefully put them in a mortar along with the other numerous ingredients she had assembled. She crushed them together and the mixture began to turn a faint blue in color, glowing slightly. She muttered a few words in Latin that Buffy couldn't make out.

The others in the room were watching, mostly curiosity on their faces. Willow grabbed a pinch of the mixture between her fingers and blew it out onto the map. The glowing blue dust hovered for a moment and then began to flow together and float downward in a tight cloud. It seemed to be moving toward the very center of the map.

When it touched the map, it continued downward as though being absorbed and a small blue dot appeared on the paper. Everyone leaned in closer to get a good look.

"He's still in Lebanon," Dean said looking up, surprise on his face. "What the hell?"

* * *

 **A/N:** End of Part I. I hope you enjoyed this so far. Reviews?


	10. Chapter 9

**PART II:**  
 ** _Fallen Angels_**

Chapter 9  
Lebanon, KS  
US 281

"He should be around here somewhere," Willow said, pointing to an isolated spot on their map. The witch had recast her spell on a local map of Kansas to try to determine a more exact location. It led them to long stretch of road just north of Lebanon, less than 10 minutes away from the bunker. Willow, Dean, and Buffy were leaning over the hood of Baby, studying the map where Willow was pointing. Her red hair fell into her face as she studied the map, and she tucked most if it behind her ear. The wind blew it back into her face.

"There's nothing there but farmland," Dean said. "What would Cas be doing there?"

"So, Cas' phone is now off, but I got a hold of Donatello," came Sam's voice. They all looked up as Sam joined them, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "He's still saying that Cas has only been gone a day or two."

"He said that 2 days ago," Dean said.

"Exactly. So who knows how long he's really been gone – maybe since we left?" Sam said. He put on a brave face for the women, but Dean could tell that his brother was worried. Dean was too. He didn't like it when Cas vanished on them, it was often a very bad sign.

"But he's still in the area," Buffy pointed out. "There's gotta be a reason for that."

"Probably," Sam agreed. "Going by where the spell is indicating, he's probably on some farm."

"There's a dirt road just up here," Dean pointed out on the map. Nothing was indicated on it, but he was pretty familiar with the area at this point.

"That would probably lead right to your angel," Willow said, following Dean's finger. "I think you must be right, Sam. He's on a farm."

They all agreed and piled back into the Impala, the girls in the back. Dean turned the key, the engine roaring to life, and he pulled back out onto the pavement, driving the short trip to where he knew the dirt drive was. He turned right when he saw it and followed it for almost a mile before an old farm house came into view – a large barn right behind it.

"Stop the car," Willow suddenly said. She sounded anxious. He did as he was told and stopped the car, turning off the engine.

"We're too exposed," Dean observed, looking around. There was nothing to hide them or the car in the area. They were surrounded by open farmland, the vegetation mostly dead or dying due to the season.

"That's not it," Willow said. "There's something here, a presence. Maybe more than one." Sam and Dean both turned to face her, matching expressions of concern on their faces. She looked thoughtful, if not slightly curious. The look on her face belied the concern in her voice.

"I can't feel anything," Buffy said wonderingly, looking at her friend. If Buffy couldn't sense any monsters, maybe it wasn't what they'd feared. Or maybe it was worse.

"It's powerful," Willow's eyes had gone glossy and she was staring at the barn through the windshield.

Dean glanced at Sam, who's eyebrows were raised in thought. "Angels," Dean said and Sam nodded. No matter how you sliced it, multiple angels made the brothers nervous. If they were from heaven it meant that they probably worked for Lucifer. If they weren't sent by Lucifer, it could mean any number of things. Dean turned back to Willow. "You can't tell if its more than one? It could just be Cas," he added hopefully.

"Wait, something's changed," Willow narrowed her eyes. "There's still something powerful in there, but it's different from what I felt before. I think whatever held the extreme power I was sensing is gone."

"Maybe someone left?" Buffy suggested.

"Well, if that's the case, I think there's no time like the present," Dean said. They nodded, but they were all anxious, not knowing exactly what they would be facing in there. As a group, they got out of the car and while Buffy and Willow carefully watched the barn, Sam and Dean circled around to the trunk, grabbing 3 angel blades, which was all they had with them. Dean handed the third to Buffy, "This'll kill an angel."

"That'll kill just about anything," Sam added. He turned to Willow, "I'm afraid we don't have one for you."

"That's OK," Willow said. "I'd prefer not to kill angels. Besides – if it came down to it, I'm better with defense than offense." Sam and Dean nodded, understanding. If working with Rowena all these years had taught Dean anything, it's that a powerful witch can be extremely useful to have around, even if he didn't like said witch. He did like Willow though, so, bonus. Idly, he thought he'd love to see those two red-heads meet. But then he thought better of it, realizing that would probably be a really bad idea.

The group slowly approached the house, the hunters and slayer all extremely aware of their surroundings and how exposed they were. Willow was studying the house and barn. The ranch-style house was painted in light green that was peeling. There was an old rocking chair on the porch that looked like it would collapse if a child tried to sit on it. There was the frame for a screen door, but no screen in front of the old wooden door. Several windows around the house were broken and the roof needed to be repaired, if not replaced. The grass in the yard was unmowed and brown, weeds creeping into the walk that led to the porch. The place was clearly abandoned.

The barn was not in much better shape. If it had ever been red, it was brown and rotting now. A part of the roof had caved in, but the large barn door appeared to be whole and firmly in place. They headed toward the barn when Willow stopped them.

"Hold on," she said, gazing at the barn, her eyes narrowing. "This place is warded up the wazoo. No magic allowed." She turned to the others, "I'm not sure I'd even be able to walk in, too much residual magic inside me. 50/50 chance, I'd say. I think my magic may already be affected. I'm not sure I'd even be able to fly over the place to look in, which had been my plan."

Sam and Dean both stared at her. Dean momentarily forgot about the mission as he gaped at her. "You can fly?" he heard Sam ask, awe (and maybe a little jealousy) in his voice. Buffy looked slightly amused, and a bit proud, but Willow's cheeks flushed.

"Probably should have mentioned that before we got here," Willow said, face still red. "There never seems to be a good time to bring something like that up."

"Focus, guys," Buffy said, snapping her fingers in Dean's face. He shook his head, but couldn't help it when his eyes continued to watch Willow. _She could fly?_ He would pay money to see that.

"OK Willow, if your power is going to be affected in there, then maybe you should stay here, magical backup if we have any issues leaving," Dean said, his mind regaining his concentration. _Cas_. _I have to focus on getting to Cas._ They still had no idea what they were dealing with and what Cas was even doing here.

Willow agreed and hung back as the other three approached the barn door, angel blades at the ready. Dean approached the smaller regular-sized door that was inside the giant barn door and he and Sam took their usual precautions. Sam on the left, Dean on the right and they both silently counted to three, Dean pulling the door open and Sam rushing inside, Dean right behind him.

They looked around wildly, expecting just about everything, but all they saw was a battered man in a trench coat tied to a post. Cas. They rushed over to him. He was cut in several places, fresh blood seeping from the wounds. Dried blood on his clothes and hands indicated that he'd been here for a while. His arms were limp and he sagged against the post. He wasn't wearing shoes, his feet caked with dirt and blood, and his customary tie was on the ground in a heap nearby. Yellow and brown bruises on his neck indicated that he might have been strangled with it at some point.

"Cas!" Sam said when he rushed over. He got to his friend's side and immediately pulled out his lock picks and started to work on the large shackles that bound him. They had spell work etched into the steel.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean asked, looking into the man's eyes. His head, which had been hanging down, came up, his one good eye wide as he looked back at them. His face was a patchwork of cuts and bruises. One eye was swollen shut and his lip was split. There was a dried trickle of blood coming out of one ear. Dean winced at the many injuries, feeling the pain for his best friend.

"Dean, Sam," he said, his gravelly voice sounding dry and raspy. He'd been screaming. "You shouldn't be here. He'll be back any time."

"Who?" Sam asked, as the shackles fell away. Cas brought his hands up, rubbing his wrists. "Cas, what happened? Donatello said you left days ago and never came back."

"I heard whispers that something was rising," Cas said, taking a cautious step. Sam and Dean both lifted Cas' arms, putting them over their shoulders, helping him walk.

"Let's get you out of here first, then we can talk," Dean said, pointedly glaring at Sam for his question.

"Can you heal yourself?" Sam asked.

"In time. And away from this place."

They were walking (or limping) toward the door. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw Cas give Buffy a curious look. When they'd found Cas, she'd hung back to give them some space. They got to the door and Dean went through first so he could help Cas over the step in the wood.

Dean could see Willow waiting by the car as he took Cas by the arm again. Her red hair was clearly visible against the dark paint of the car. When Willow saw them, she rushed over to help.

"Willow Rosenberg," Cas said simply, looking at her. Willow blinked in surprise. His head was tilted in recognition and curiosity. Then he coughed before adding, "It's an honor."

Buffy and Willow both stared at Cas, not comprehending how he knew who she was. Of course, Dean himself wasn't sure how he knew, but this wasn't the time. "We can do introductions later," he said quickly. "Let's get out of here before whoever did this comes back."

He and Sam started to pull Cas toward the car when Cas growled, "Michael. Guys, Michael is back. He did this." He was clearly angry with his old brother. _Angels – Dicks!_

"We'd heard Michael was back," Sam said. "But what did he want with you?"

Willow climbed into the back seat to help Cas from inside. Dean wouldn't let Cas answer before they left; they could talk on the way to the bunker. Away from the crazy Archangel. With Cas injured in the back, Buffy had to squeeze in the front between Dean and Sam. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Dean found himself enjoying the feel of her warm leg against his own. Then he scolded himself for letting thoughts like that rise in circumstances like this.

Dean tore away from the house and barn and as they approached the road, he could see Cas starting to heal in his rearview mirror.

"So what did Michael want with you?" Sam repeated, turning his head to look at Cas.

"You," Cas said simply. "The cage must have made him insane, because he seemed to think that Lucifer was still using you as his vessel, despite the fact that both your body and your soul were pulled out of the cage years ago. Maybe Michael had already gone mad by then," he speculated. "But how did you know that Michael was back."

"Believe it or not, Gabriel told us," Dean said, pulling back on to the main road and speeding down it.

"Gabriel!" Cas said, sounding amazed. "He's alive? But didn't Our Father say that he was gone and would need to be brought back if we wanted his help?"

"He did. Maybe it was another trick, something Asmodeus or Lucifer picked up from Gabriel to keep him hidden," Sam speculated, sounding just as confused. Sam and Dean briefly explained about the reappearance of Gabriel and the news he brought. They were approaching the bunker before they finished. Cas looked mostly healed at that point. Cas had heard through Michael's ramblings that Lucifer had taken over heaven. None of them could fathom how Michael had even found out, let alone actually broken out of the cage. When they got out of the car, Sam and Dean made introductions for Willow and Buffy. Cas already knew who they were due to their roles in other apocalypses.

Dean unlocked the door to the bunker and let everyone in before he entered himself.

"Whoa," Buffy said, sounding amazed as she took in the place. She went down the stairs and into the library. "What is this place. I thought you said you lived in a bunker?" she asked staring at the brothers, her mouth open. Willow's eyes had gone wide too, she excitedly squeaked and started looking through the book titles. Cas had sat down tiredly at one of the tables.

"We do. Welcome to the Men of Letter's US Based Headquarters," Dean said proudly, his arms spread wide.

"OK, that's the third time I've heard that name. Who _are_ these 'Men of Letters?' And why the sexist name?" Buffy asked, both impressed and slightly annoyed. Behind him, he heard Willow chuckle.

"Never mind that," Sam said, sitting down next to Cas. Dean went over to the mini fridge and pulled out some beers and a few water bottles. He handed Sam a beer and Cas a water. Buffy also took a bottle of water and sat down. Willow had sunk down onto the floor with a book in her lap. She'd already tuned the rest of them out, completely absorbed in the book. Sam opened his beer, took a sip and then turned to Cas, "Michael kidnapped you to find me?"

"Of course, he knows we're friends. He seemed to think the best way to find Lucifer was to find you. Of course, if he'd been making any sense, he would have realized that if Lucifer had your body, I certainly wouldn't have known where you were or still been acting as your friend. I tried to explain that to him, but he wasn't understanding. He's unbalanced. He was asking about you too, Dean," Cas said. He took a sip of water and went on when Dean raised his eyebrows. "Your brother Adam is still acting as his vessel, though I suspect Adam probably isn't alive anymore. Not really."

"So we've heard," Dean growled. They really had failed their other brother: more guilt for the pile.

"But through his ramblings, he mentioned that he would be stronger with his true vessel. With you," Cas continued. "Another reason he thought I could help. When I left the bunker a few days ago – not sure how many now - it had been because I'd heard rumors of a power shift in heaven – that would be Lucifer taking over. Michael found me within moments and brought me to that barn. He and his demons were taking it in turns to try to torture answers out of me. I gave them nothing."

"I'm so sorry," Buffy said.

"Me too, Cas. You shouldn't have had to deal with a crazy Archangel on our behalf," Dean said.

"It's not the first time," Cas said. He smiled as though joking, but he was completely serious. "And from the way things are going, it probably won't be the last."

"So, if Michael is looking for Lucifer, does that mean Lucifer isn't in heaven?" Dean asked curiously.

"Apparently Michael tried to get to heaven, but he didn't realize that the gates were closed and that there was a back door entrance that we now have to use. So instead, he found a few angels on Earth and 'interrogated' them the same way he did me. They said that he was searching the Earth for his son. Not to mention you two," Cas explained.

"Michael told you all this?" Dean asked surprised.

"Like I said, he was rambling the entire time. I gathered most of it by piecing together the scraps that made sense through the insanity."

Suddenly a loud bang met their ears and they all turned to the hallway where Donatello burst in, breathing heavily. Sam, Dean, and Buffy all stood up, on alert. Cas sat up instantly, but appeared too tired to stand. Willow deigned to look up from her book. Donatello appeared to be dressed in the same clothes they'd last seen him in, only with grease and ink stains. He hadn't shaved in several days, if not the entire week. It reminded Dean forcibly of what Kevin had looked like when he'd overdone it with the demon tablet.

"Sam, Dean, Castiel," he wheezed, as he stopped to lean against a table. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize I was doing it!"

"Doing what?" Sam asked urgently. Dean had pulled out his gun on instinct. Usually when they saw someone in this state of distress they were in trouble. He put the gun back, realizing Donatello was alone.

"I've been reporting to Asmodeus!" he cried. Dean's eyes widened and his heart sank into his stomach. "He brainwashed me, told me to report back with everything I found on the demon tablet! And I did! I told him everything! He knows how to get to the other Earth!"

"Son of a bitch!" Dean said, sitting back down and feeling the need to drink more.

Cas' eyes had gone wide. "Why are you free of the brainwashing now, what happened?"

Donatello blinked in confusion, "I… I don't know. But it vanished a few minutes ago as though cut. I went to call you, but then I remembered that you said you were on your way back, so I came right here." He was still breathing heavily and then he collapsed in a chair, a hand over his eyes.

Buffy got up and handed him the water bottle that she hadn't touched. He took it appreciatively. She sat next to him and put her hand on his arm, smiling reassuringly, "It's not your fault." After everything, all the darkness she'd seen as the slayer, she was still a kind soul. Dean marveled. He probably would have just gotten Donatello a beer.

Donatello looked at her, confusion on his face, "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I know it's not my fault. But these guys are protecting me. If this angel war gets to them, what'll happen to me?" Buffy blinked at him in surprise at his lack of caring. It was amazing how a soul (or lack thereof) could affect a person. "Also, there's a chance that if the boys found out I'd betrayed them and that realization hadn't come from me – they might kill me."

"I'm sure they wouldn't _kill_ you," Buffy said uncertainly, glancing at Dean. Dean considered… chances were in Donatello's favor, if they found out about the brainwashing.

Cas looked speculative, "If the link that was keeping you brainwashed was severed, I think the safest assumption would be that Asmodeus is now dead. Killed, maybe by Michael? After Michael took over Hell, Asmodeus fled, but Michael was looking for him too. That must be where he took off to after he left me in that barn where you found me." He paused, thinking, then continued, "And if Michael found Asmodeus, I think it's safe to assume that Michael now knows everything that Asmodeus knew."

Suddenly Cas stood up, looking panicked. "We need to check the wardings on the bunker," he said looking around. Asmodeus couldn't get in here, he's still just a demon, but an Archangel…"

Suddenly, there was a blinding light on the stairs that lead to the Crow's Nest. A voice rang out, "An Archangel would have no… no problem… problem… no problem getting in there-here-there and everywhere."

Everyone stood up suddenly, facing the man before them. Michael, in Adam's body, was smiling at them all. But his eyes were darting around, as though seeing everything and nothing. He tried to take a step forward, but then he balanced on one foot and skipped, like a child jumping over a block in hopscotch. He landed with his arms spread wide and he looked at them all. He found Sam, and his eyes focused slightly.

"Hello brother-Sam. Red minivan riding through the jungle. The Devil sits in the driver's seat, doesn't he?" Michael smiled lopsidedly. They all stared at him. Dean subtly backed up, reaching for a knife that was in his pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam doing the same thing.

"Brother, you cannot wait any longer. Longer brother. Tall brother reaching to the heavens," he turned and started pacing, eyes on the ground. Dean took the opportunity to cut his hand and move to where his arm was hidden behind a pillar. He stopped when Michael looked up and saw him. He pointed at Dean.

"My savior. My home. My… my… who are you? Shut up!" he turned to something no one else could see. "You say you want to help, but do you help? Help! I need somebody. But where were you when the star landed? Nowhere… where's the flower… flower petals? Just say yes, Dean. No, yes? Deir m'athair leis an mbó ag stánadh. No, that's not right." He lost focus again and tripped slightly, his hand on the wall to steady himself. He looked up and found Dean again, "I need you. I have to defeat… fight… conquer… Lucifer. Fata quiescit in mundo iecoris!" he screamed the last phrase as Sam managed to finish the sigil that he'd been working on. Both Michael and Cas were blown away in a flash of light.

"What the hell was that!" Donatello shouted.

"A crazy-ass Archangel," Dean said.

"I've never seen anything like that," Sam said, turning to Dean.

"I have. When a god goes crazy… it looks kinda like that," Buffy said. Willow was nodding behind her. Dean's curiosity rose. He would have to ask about that story later. Donatello collapsed in his chair again. He was still gripping the water bottle that Buffy had given him; he'd crushed it slightly.

"What did you do?" Buffy suddenly asked. "Where'd they go? Did you mean to send Cas away too?"

"It's a sigil. It sends all angels away from the area for a bit. We need to re-angel proof the bunker ASAP. We can let them down enough to bring Cas back in, but we need to make sure that no angels – not even Archangels can get in here again without permission," Dean said. "Michael could probably get back here extremely quickly, but maybe he's crazy enough to be distracted for now…"

They all quickly got to work warding the bunker. Willow was extremely helpful in this capacity as she knew some wards that they didn't; ones that should be able to keep out even Archangels – in theory. They worked rapidly and efficiently, taking different parts of the bunker to make sure that they didn't leave any gaps. It took them over an hour and in that time, Cas had managed to call them from a pay phone saying he was a couple hours away and on his way back. Fortunately, Michael did not reappear before they got the new wards up.

When they were finished, they all collapsed at the tables in the library again, hopeful, but not confident that the wards would actually work since they had no way to test them. They were exhausted and all agreed to a beer this time; so Dean handed out some bottles. Willow held hers, but got up to start examining books again.

They were drinking in silence when a loud shriek came from where Willow was standing. They all looked at her and she pulled out a large tome. "I can't believe you have this!" she said, her voice an octave higher then they'd ever heard before. She held out to the book to them. The cover was faded and Dean couldn't read the title.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Abraham Abulafia's final work, 'Light of the Unseen!' Giles said that the Watcher's Council had the only copy and that it was destroyed along with the council. I've wanted to translate and read this for years. I can't believe you have it! Giles is going to lose it when he finds out," she exclaimed. She held the book like it might explode and she brought it over to the table.

She pulled a bag that she'd brought with her, over from where it'd been sitting on the floor, and she pulled out a notebook and pen. Then she pulled out a laptop, opening it up. Finally, she opened the book and immediately began to work. She started typing on her computer briefly, before she looked up at Sam and Dean.

"What's your wifi password?"

Dean chuckled and said, "Assbutt. One word, capital A."

"Umm… okay," Willow said, shaking her head.

Buffy looked at him curiously while Sam started laughing. Donatello was just shaking his head and sipping his beer. Dean glanced back at Buffy and said, "You can ask Cas when he gets back about that one… Classic."

Eventually Sam went out to find food for them. A few minutes after he left, Cas came down the stairs, looking disheveled, but otherwise OK. "I really need to charge my phone," he said, sounding frustrated. He sat down in a chair next to Dean, who handed him a charger. He plugged in his phone and continued, "I arrived 30 minutes ago, but I had no way to contact you to let me in. And I guess you couldn't hear me knocking. Sam found me when he went out. Then he had to remove some warding so I could come back in. Once I was in, he put the warding back up."

"Glad your back, Castiel," Buffy said, smiling at him. His annoyed face softened a bit and he turned back to Dean. "Dean, you know that if Michael truly knows everything that Donatello has learned from the demon tablet, we probably won't be able to use the spell on it to find Jack and your mother." Donatello grunted and scowled. He probably would have cared quite a bit more about what happened if he had his soul.

"What?" Dean asked, surprised. "Why the hell not?"

"He'll put things in place to stop us. He knows about Jack and he'll do anything to stop Lucifer from getting his son back."

"Wait, Lucifer doesn't even know that Jack is on the other Earth. How does Michael?" Dean asked.

"Asmodeus," Cas said.

"Right, Donny would have told White-Suit that Jack was on the other Earth, and Asmodeus probably told Crazy-Pants. That's just awesome," Dean huffed, taking another drink of his beer.

There was silence for a minute before Dean concluded, "So we can't use anything we've found from the demon tablet."

"Which was most of the spell, by the way," Donatello noted. "Forgot to tell you that before."

Dean sighed, "We need a new plan."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
Lebanon, KS  
Men of Letters Bunker

Buffy had to call work and inform them she was taking a leave of absence, and wouldn't be able to tell them how long she'd be gone. They assured her that whatever she needed, she would still have a job when she got back, but that they couldn't pay her for the time off. She understood and appreciated their patience. It was unfortunate, but given what they were up against, necessary.

The "bunker" as the brothers called it was so much more than that. It was significantly bigger than the Slayer Org's HQ, and she was shocked to discover a full gym and a shooting range on a lower level her third day there. The boys had given her and Willow their own rooms, and it appeared that there were plenty more. Donatello and Cas already had their own rooms, though she wasn't sure if Cas actually used his (do angels sleep?). She wondered how many people had lived here in its heyday.

There were now 6 people residing in the bunker: 2 hunters, 1 angel, 1 witch, 1 slayer, and 1 prophet. Buffy had been stunned to learn that Donatello was a "Prophet of the Lord," could naturally read Enochian, and occasionally had visions of the future. Buffy wasn't sure she liked the man; he was rude and impatient and would often snap at people if interrupted. He hadn't quite given up on trying to make use of the demon tablet (which apparently the Scribe of God had written down eons ago – so weird to have that come up in conversation). He was determined to be useful and thought maybe there would be something else that could help the Winchesters in their quest to find their mother and this Jack, who was apparently Lucifer's son. Some scrap of information that he hadn't told Asmodeus, and in turn Michael, about.

Sam, Dean, Willow, Buffy, and Cas started digging into anything that might help them find another way onto this "other Earth" that they were looking for. The others were convinced that Jack was the only one who might be able to stop both Lucifer and Michael. He was more powerful than either, supposedly. Or he would be someday, if he ever got control of his powers. Buffy thought that Jack sounded very much like a wild card. And as the son of Lucifer, she wasn't sure if they should even be trusting him. But Sam and Cas, and for the most part, Dean, insisted that he'd proven his loyalties and that they'd need him. So they researched.

And they researched.

And they researched.

By the third day in the bunker, Buffy had started to go a little crazy reading book after book. Books that, from the sounds of it, the Winchester's had already plowed through prior to looking into the demon tablet option. That had inspired her to go exploring in the bunker.

She avoided the shooting range when she found it, but was impressed by the gym and a little jealous to discover that they had a hidden dungeon. She found a garage with a dozen classic cars and motorcycles in pristine condition. Dean's "Baby" was sitting in the middle of the large room with Dean bent over it. His sleeves were rolled up and he was washing the large vehicle. He hadn't noticed her, too focused on his task.

She'd known the boys for almost 2 weeks now and a few things had become very clear. Dean didn't like research, though he was extremely intelligent, much more so than he generally let on. Sam enjoyed the research – learning new things was fun to him, like it was to Willow. And the brothers would do absolutely anything for each other. Their love and loyalty was very clear, even when they were ribbing each other. And she was starting to realize that Cas was an important part of that. He might be an angel, millennia old (if not older), but he was just as much a Winchester brother as Sam or Dean. And there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between all three that Cas was just one of them – plain and simple. And Cas would do anything for the other two men, just as much as Sam or Dean would do anything for him.

The family dynamic was remarkable, and it reminded her very much of the Scoobies. The closeness, the warmth, the love. It was a different family, but it was just as strong as her own, even if she felt on the outskirts of her family lately. Maybe that was because the Winchesters only had each other: Sam, Dean, Cas. And that was it. Their mother, Mary, was there too (or at least she was, before she was trapped on the second Earth), but from the vague impressions she got from the brothers, their relationship with her was strained at best; so the brothers relied on each other, and only each other. It was different for the Scoobies, because they all had other families, other relationships, and real lives. Buffy certainly didn't begrudge them their other lives and families, but a small part of her was a bit jealous at the closeness that the Winchesters had with each other. There had been a time when the Scoobies were like that, but not anymore.

Dean finally noticed her. He blinked in surprise, but then grinned that flirtatious grin of his. The one he knew any girl would swoon over, and it broke her out of her reverie. "Hey, sweetheart," he said. "Care to help me wash Baby?"

Buffy fought back the urge to join him. It could be fun after all, but she didn't want to encourage his flirting. Although, sometimes she found it enjoyable, but he'd been bad the last few days living under the same roof, and as they'd gotten to know each other a little better. It was never gunna happen, after all – he was a hunter – not her type. She liked nice guys… Right? Certainly not monster fighters in leather jackets – no, certainly not that… She could've kicked herself.

She shook her head, grinning back at him and turned to leave. He called after her, "Your loss!"

She continued to meander through the bunker, making her way into the kitchen and grabbing herself a cup of coffee, which seemed to be a staple in this place (along with granola, cereal, burgers, beer, and pie). She sat down at the table, still avoiding going back to the endless and fruitless research, when her phone rang.

According to the brothers, the GPS on her phone and laptop would only lead to a 10 mile radius around the bunker, but the reception itself was perfect. Some kind of magic that made the place unplottable, she guessed.

She pulled out her phone and saw Giles' name on the screen. She smiled to herself as she picked up.

"Hey."

"Buffy, good. I'm glad I reached you. I'm outside, can you please let me in?" Giles' voice came over the phone. Buffy blinked in surprise.

"'Outside?' As in, outside the Men of Letter's bunker?"

"Of course. Didn't Willow tell you I was coming down to join you in the research? I've brought volumes that might help," he said.

Willow hadn't said a word to her. Of course, Willow had been in full research mode since they got here – she'd barely taken her nose out of the books, except to occasionally crosscheck something on her laptop.

"No, I guess she must have forgotten, I'll come get you," she said. She hung up the phone and stood up. She walked out of the kitchen and found Sam, Willow, and Cas still in the library.

"Sooo, Giles is here," she said to them. Sam and Cas looked up, surprise on both of their faces.

"Oh good," Willow said, not bothering to stop reading.

"Thanks for telling us he was coming, Will," Buffy said, putting her hands on her hips.

At that, Willow looked up, surprise on her face. "Oh… crap. Did I forget to mention that?" She looked from Buffy to the boys. Both Sam and Cas shook their heads. "Oops. Sorry."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but grinned. She passed through the library and the Crow's Nest, heading up the stairs and down the long hallway to the front door where Giles waited for her.

His usual grin greeted her and she hugged him before she held the door open for him. He carried a bag and told her that he had several boxes of books in the car that he might need help with in bringing inside. Andrew, Annie, and Dawn had helped him pick those books specifically, knowing what they were looking for and what was at stake. He told her that everyone else regretted not being able to join him in coming down to help, but someone had to watch HQ and the slayers-in-training.

She led him back down the hallway, and watched as his mouth fell open when the Crow's Nest and library came into view. Yup, that had been worth it. No doubt, he would be even more excited at the boys' collection than Willow. She led him down the stairs and into the library, introducing him to Cas.

"Rupert Giles," Cas said, standing up and grinning. "I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure." Idly, Buffy wondered what he'd heard, since she was pretty sure that she and Willow hadn't told him much. Cas must know him the same way he'd known Buffy and Willow.

Cas and Sam went back outside to help unload Giles' car and had to make several trips before Sam told Giles that he could move his car into the garage if he wished, describing to him how to get the car there. Willow had disappeared into the kitchen to get some tea for Giles after what had been an awfully long drive.

Unsurprisingly, Giles became a kid in a candy store when he started to investigate the books on the various shelves in the room. He pulled out several volumes that he said he'd never even heard of before, when a voice called out to him.

"Rupert, didn't know you were coming, buddy," Dean was walking into the room, grinning from ear to ear. Giles blinked in surprise at being addressed so, but greeted Dean all the same. Buffy was surprised too, the only person who had ever called Giles "Rupert" had been her mother… and Spike… _Crap_.

"He goes by Giles," Buffy pointedly corrected him. Giles glanced at her curiously, but didn't say anything.

Cas and Sam were finally finished unloading the boxes when Giles, who'd been continuing to investigate the book collection said, "I would love to get copies of some of these books. If we were to add the Men of Letters' collection to our own, we would have a better anthology than the Watcher's Council ever had. I had always regretted that the Watcher's Council and the British Men of Letters didn't get along. And of course, by the time I came to America, the American Chapter of the Men of Letters had long since been destroyed."

"Yeah, well, the Brit's are huge douches. You wouldn't want to get involved with them anyway. They would have tried to take over," Dean said.

"I assume that by 'the Brit's', you mean the British Men of Letters?" Giles eyed Dean over his glasses, a scolding look on his face. Dean's face went just slightly red.

"Sorry, uh… yeah, that's what I meant. I'm afraid I don't know much about the Watcher's Council," Dean amended. It was hard to tell, the British weren't prone to showing their emotions on their faces, but Buffy was pretty sure that Giles was messing with him. There was a hint of a twinkle in his eye that suggested amusement. Buffy tried to hide her entertainment at this.

"I'm afraid you are correct though. One of the issues that arose between the two groups was, in fact, control. Neither was willing to give up any power to the other – so they often clashed," Giles said. Sam and Dean both nodded, understanding. It sounded to Buffy like these British Men of Letters were just like the Watcher's Council – only with hunters to try and rule instead of slayers.

With the addition of Giles' references, the research started anew, with everyone diving in. A few hours after Giles arrived, however, Donatello emerged from his room. Brief introductions were made, but Donatello waved Giles off, declaring, "I'm done. I'm going home!"

They all stared at him. Several people said, "What?" and Cas said, "Why?"

"There's nothing else in that stupid tablet that can help you. I'm tired, and believe it or not, I'm sick of chicken. _And_ I'm sick of seeing all of you day in and day out too. I'm not meant to live with other people, so I'm going home. I've packed my bags and I'll be out of your hair within the hour," he stated bluntly.

"Donatello," Cas said, speaking as though he was trying to sound soothing, though with his gravelly voice, it came across as more threatening. "You know what's at stake here. We need your help."

"You don't," Donatello said flatly. "You've got more people helping you with research than you've ever had. I'll leave the demon tablet, it gives me a headache anyway, and it's probably safer here than with me." With that, he turned on his heel and headed back to his room, presumably to grab his bags. Buffy, Giles, and Willow turned to the Winchesters with raised eyebrows.

"What was that about?" Buffy asked.

"You'll have to forgive Donny," Dean said shaking his head, still looking at the spot where Donatello had disappeared from. "No soul will make a guy kinda rude."

"No soul?!" Buffy exclaimed, standing up. Dean, Cas, and Sam all looked at her in surprise. Willow and Giles both looked alarmed as well. "Donatello doesn't have a soul?!"

The three men then launched into a tale about God's sister who had apparently eaten Donatello's soul. ' _Cause that's a normal thing…_

"And you trust him?" Buffy asked incredulously, when they'd finished. She'd had more than her share of experiences with individuals losing their souls and it rarely ended well for anyone.

"Well, sort of," Sam said. "We try to keep an eye on him, and he's got angels watching him pretty closely – Prophet of the Lord and all that. He's never hurt anyone and tends to keep to himself. Losing one's soul affects people in different ways. It turns some people into killers and monsters, some people go crazy, and others just become uncaring and rude. Fortunately, Donatello is in the latter group. And he still knows the difference between right and wrong, even if he has no empathy."

 _It turns some people into killers and monsters,_ Buffy repeated to herself. _Don't I know it._ But she'd never heard of it just happening to random humans. Maybe if someone loses their soul in a way that isn't a violent and painful death, that person has a chance of not becoming a monster. And Spike had proved that you could do the right thing even without a soul, if maybe for the wrong reasons. This did explain a lot about Donatello that she hadn't been able to figure out up until that point.

True to his word, Donatello left shortly after this, saying a quick farewell to everyone and taking his leave.

XXXX

Three more days passed in the bunker without any breakthroughs. Unfortunately, even the new books that Giles had brought proved unhelpful. They did find a few references to people going to another realm or universe, but rarely did it say _how_ they got there. And the one or two times that it did, it would mention using a "spell of extreme power" but nothing more specific, which frustrated Buffy and the others to no end. Cas seemed to almost take it personally.

The others were becoming more irritable by the day as no progress was made. As she had the first few days, Buffy found that after days of nothing, her mind (and feet) would start wandering and she spent less and less time digging into the books. She did spend at least an hour every day in the gym that they had, which helped work off some frustration, but it wasn't enough. She needed to breathe fresh air. She longed to get out of this bunker, if only for a couple hours, so when Sam mentioned that they needed to do a quick shopping trip for food, Buffy immediately volunteered to join him. It relieved some of the boredom, but far too soon she was back in the bunker, reading another book.

It was clear that Dean was getting restless too. He'd washed his baby again, even though he hadn't even driven it since the last time he'd washed it. And every once in a while, he'd disappear into his room, most likely to watch Netflix. Or porn, based on the mocking hints that Sam dropped… Hopefully it was Netflix.

On the morning of the fourth day after Giles' arrival, Dean was on his laptop while Giles and Sam continued researching. Willow and Cas were at another table talking about how Willow had awoken the potential slayers. Apparently the angels didn't even know that it'd been possible and were shocked to discover what she'd done all those years ago. Cas seemed extremely curious about how she'd actually done it and Willow tried to explain the magicks involved. Dean looked up at his brother, his face serious, and said, "Found a case."

Sam looked up at him. "We're busy, Dean. We have to get Mom and Jack back."

"Look," Dean said, "I'm going nuts just sitting here reading the same books over and over again. It's been a week and we've found nothing. No sign of Lucifer or Michael. No clue as to what they might be planning. And no hint as to how we can get to the other universe. It's just a haunting a few hours from here. I'll be gone 2 days – tops."

Buffy perked up. A ghost? It'd been a long time since she'd seen a ghost. And she was desperate to get out of this bunker.

"I'm coming too," Buffy said. Everyone looked at her.

"No, you're not," Dean said flatly. His face was set. He was prepared to fight her on this. Why? Wouldn't this just give him more opportunity to flirt with her? What's the logic in refusing?

"I've gotta get out of here. I could use something to fight. I'm coming," she said, meeting his eyes. He narrowed his own.

"Dean, put your pride away. If she wants to go, it's not like you could stop her," Sam said, sounding exasperated.

"She'll get in my way," Dean said, looking back at his brother.

"I won't. I can help, it's not like you need to protect me," Buffy internally cringed at the note of desperation in her voice. She _really_ needed to get out of here.

"I don't need help from a slayer," he said harshly. So _that_ was his issue. He was insecure. Her eyes widened as she realized this. He thought that she thought he needed her help. It might even partially be because she was a woman. He'd flirt with her endlessly and shamelessly, but tell a man that he was getting a woman's help and he'd freak. Men and their egos. So fragile. But then she wondered if she was judging him too harshly. After all, he'd been impressed when she'd taken him and Sam out – not upset or embarrassed.

"I'm not coming because I think you need my help," she said bluntly. "I'm coming because I can't sit here and do nothing another minute. I'm going crazy in here. Believe me, you'll be doing me a favor if you let me come."

He eyed her for another minute while everyone else watched Dean, curious to see what he'd say. Sam was giving his brother a knowing look, while Cas had his head tilted to the side curiously, like a puppy. Finally, he sighed and nodded. She smiled at him appreciatively, though in truth, he never really had a choice.

"Thank you," she said. They both got up and went to their respective rooms to grab some gear. He said they'd be gone 2 days at most, that probably meant sleeping in another crappy motel tonight. _Wonderful_. It was still better than sitting here listening to pages turn.

She met Dean in the garage and they threw their bags in the back seat. Dean had also packed a cooler and she snuck a look inside: full of beer and a few sandwiches. Typical.

She climbed into Sam's usual seat and buckled up. Dean opened the garage doors and they drove away from the bunker. Dean turned a knob on the dashboard and some old, _loud_ , rock music came blaring through the speakers. Buffy didn't even know the song, but she thought she recognized the style – Metallica maybe? It was way too loud. She'd had to ride in this car with his music too many times at this point and it was her turn to pick the music.

"Hey!" Dean cried, when Buffy changed the source from "tape" to "radio." She started scrolling through stations, mostly finding modern music (which she generally disliked), static, and ads. This is why she didn't listen to the radio. But he didn't even have a CD player, let alone an auxiliary port or Bluetooth to connect her phone to. So, radio it was. He tried to take back control but she smacked his hand away.

"My turn," she said bossily and he looked at her with narrowed and defensive eyes.

Finally, she found a station with something she both recognized and liked. And the idea of making Dean listen to it was too beautiful.

 _I'll tell you want I want  
 _What I really really want  
 _So tell me what you want  
 _What you really really want____

Buffy sat back and started singing along, bopping her head. She kept Dean in the corner of her eye, a grin on her face. He was staring at her, a horrified look on his face. "You can't be serious," he said, finally remembering to watch the road as she sang.

 _If you wannabe my lover  
 _You gotta get with my friends.  
 _Make it last forever  
 _Friendship never ends!____

"This isn't funny."

"It's kinda funny," she smirked back. She started dancing more enthusiastically to the Spice Girls, moving her shoulders and arms and tapping her feet, and she could tell Dean was watching her out of his peripherals. He might have hated the music, but he seemed to appreciate her dancing. He was trying to hide a grin. She playfully punched him in the shoulder as she continued to sing along and he laughed, rubbing his arm.

 _Slam your body down and wind it all around  
 _Slam your body down and zigazig ahh  
 _If you wannabe my lover___

"Thank god," Dean said when the song ended.

"You love it."

"Sorry, blondie – but no."

Buffy chuckled and grinned wider when a Taylor Swift song came on. She started to sing along when Dean said, "That's enough of that." He turned the radio off. Strangely, his cheeks were pink. Maybe he secretly liked the song but wasn't willing to admit it? Buffy chose to believe this possibility.

Buffy was still chuckling, and she thought Dean was hiding a smile, and they fell into silence. Buffy couldn't take it for long though, so she turned to Dean, "So, what's the case that you found. Where are we even going?"

"Springfield, Nebraska. About 3 hours away. A couple of teens were injured in Ball Cemetery a few days ago, claiming they were attacked by a man who could disappear and reappear. They also said that they couldn't physically see what they were being attacked with," Dean explained.

"Sounds like a ghost to me," Buffy said.

"Yup. The cemetery's private property and generally believed to be haunted. Teens often go in there on a dare. Legend goes that Theodore Ball, the Big Papa of the Ball family, haunts the graveyard and leaves welts and cuts on people who enter it. There's reports of strange mists that don't fit into weather patterns and disembodied laughter too."

"Sounds like fun," Buffy said. She eyed Dean, "We're gunna have to dig up his body, aren't we?" That hadn't occurred to her when she first heard him mention hunting a ghost. She'd never actually had to do it herself before, though Giles, Andrew, and Xander once had. She'd managed to stay out of that particular job. While she'd known for years it was a common thing for hunters to do, it still wigged her out.

"That's right, sweetheart. Don't worry, I packed you a shovel," Dean grinned.

Their conversation died after that, and again Buffy was getting uncomfortable in the silence, so she tried to strike up another conversation, "So, what do you do in your spare time?"

"What spare time?"

"Oh, c'mon. You must occasionally do something other than research and hunt?" Buffy asked. She looked at him uncertainly. Maybe he didn't. Maybe this really was all he had.

"Don't usually get the time, but when we do, Sammy and me will try to see a game or go to a concert or something," Dean said, surprisingly open. They started talking affably and Dean told Buffy about some of the rock concerts they'd been to. How one time they'd accidently stumbled onto a case when they went to see a wrestling match.

Buffy was enjoying the pleasant conversation. When Dean let his guard down and just drove and talked, he seemed like a much nicer guy than she'd previously seen. He wasn't flirting and he wasn't suspicious. He was just comfortable. Buffy wondered if this was the older brother that Sam usually saw when it was just the two of them.

They came to another break in the conversation and she noticed Dean eyeing her. "What?" she asked.

"I heard a rumor that you've dated monsters?" he posed the statement as a question. She stiffened, surprised at his candor. Was he really asking her this? Why? That wasn't any of his business, and he had no right to ask. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to look out the window.

"Sorry," she heard him say. "That's none of my business."

The friendliness and lighthearted air that they'd been enjoying up until this point dissipated and the silence stretched. Buffy was uncomfortable. Why had he asked that question? Why did he even care? Was her dating life (which was long dead at this point) so interesting to people? Yes, she'd dated a couple vampires, and of course there was the whole thing with the Immortal, which wasn't actually true, but most people still believed, but that didn't make it anyone's business but her own.

She heard the click of the radio as Dean turned it back on, probably sensing her unease. Or maybe feeling it himself.

 _Yeah, I'm a wanted man  
 _ _I'm a colt in your stable  
 _I'm what Cain was to Abel  
 _Mister catch me if you can_____

Dean started humming along, and Buffy found herself bobbing her head to the familiar song.

 _Shot down in a blaze of glory  
 _Take me now but know the truth  
 _'_ _Cause I'm going down in a blaze of glory  
 _Lord, I never drew first  
 _But I drew first blood  
 _I'm the devil's son  
 _Call me young gun_______

By the last verse, Buffy was surprised to discover that both she and Dean were singing along. They didn't look at each other, opting to keep their eyes on the road, but it helped to alleviate the awkwardness that had arisen. She smiled and continued singing. Neither of them were great singers, but they weren't terrible either.

The rest of the ride, they sat comfortably next to each other, having found a middle ground on the music with Bon Jovi and similar 80's rock. When they arrived in Springfield, Dean continued on in the direction of CHI Health Midlands in nearby Omaha where the teens that had been attacked were still recovering.

They didn't receive a very welcome reception when Dean introduced them as reporters. The boy and girl, who were both 16, thought that Dean and Buffy wouldn't take them seriously either. They'd been drunk at the time of the incident, so everyone from the police, to the hospital staff, to their parents thought they were either lying to cover something up or that they couldn't remember clearly. The girl had a concussion and a broken arm from supposedly being thrown across the cemetery and hitting a tombstone. The boy had bruises, welts, and many lacerations on his face, torso, arms, and legs. He had 3 cracked ribs and had lost a lot of blood by the time the teens had been rescued. He claimed he'd been beaten repeatedly by an invisible force while his girlfriend watched helplessly nearby.

They were both adamant about what they saw, and Dean and Buffy managed to convince them that they believed their story. The teens were more apt to talk about what they'd seen once they realized this. Their stories corroborated what Dean had previously found out about Ball Cemetery. Dean pulled up a picture of Theodore Ball on his phone and showed it to the kids. They agreed that it was the man they had seen.

After the hospital, Dean and Buffy found a nearby motel, the Lazy Dazy Inn and got two rooms ("Do we _really_ need 2?" Dean had asked, grinning and winking. "Yes, we do," Buffy shot back). They ordered some quick take out and waited until nightfall, when they would be less likely to be caught in the cemetery.

After the sun dipped below the horizon, they headed out to Ball Cemetery in the south of Springfield. The graveyard was off the road and in the woods, surrounded by an iron fence. There was a large archway labeling the place with a "No Trespassing" sign attached to it. It wasn't a large cemetery, and many of the tombstones were either a century old or had been vandalized at some point, resulting in them being knocked over. In the dark, however, they couldn't see the entire place and they'd have to search through the headstones to find Theodore Ball's grave.

They grabbed shovels and flashlights out of the back, Dean swinging his arms through the straps of his duffle wearing it like a backpack. That duffle was permanently packed with gas and salt for ghost hunts. Dean tried to hand Buffy a shotgun, to which she responded, "I don't do guns."

"It's got rock salt in it, not bullets," he told her.

"Don't care," she said. He shrugged and put it back, and she continued, "Ghosts don't like iron, right?" Dean nodded and watched as Buffy wandered over to the fence and broke off a rod. She grinned back at Dean, "This should work then."

He stared at her, "Exactly how strong are you?" While the cemetery was old, the fence seemed to be in good order and she'd torn off the rod without much effort. She hadn't really thought about how that would look to someone who didn't know her well. She grinned knowingly at him.

"Pray you never have to find out."

He made a face that indicated he was more impressed than frightened. "Then let's do this," he said, smiling back. And they headed into the cemetery.

* * *

 **A/N:** I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Putting Dean out of his comfort zone, especially in regards to music is just too funny to me. I hope everyone enjoyed that. Reviews?


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
Springfield, NE  
Ball Cemetery

A thick mist enveloped Dean and Buffy almost as soon as they entered the cemetery. As one, they turned on their flashlights and started reading the names on the headstones in front of them. Since the cemetery was named after the Ball family, chances were that Theodore's grave would have one of the older and more prominent headstones. The fog around them made everything sound muted, and Dean thought he heard strange laughter further inside, but then he thought he might have been imagining it.

Less than 5 minutes after entering the graveyard, another light was bobbing toward them in the mist.

"You goddamn kids!" came an angry voice. Dean threw his shovel aside and hid his shotgun behind his back, slipping it under the duffle that was still resting there. "Can't you people read the signs? This is private property and you're trespassing."

A short man, probably in his late 60's, with grey hair and a mustache came into view, shinning a flashlight at both Buffy and Dean. This must be the owner of the property. He was wearing overalls and muddied boots. Probably a farmer. He must have seen the light from their flashlights and decided to chase them off.

"I should call the cops, I should!" he continued. "The last fools who trespassed here got mugged and beaten. You want that to happen to you too, hmmm?" He walked right up to Dean and poked him in the chest with a finger. "I should call the cops," he repeated.

"Listen, buddy," Dean began to say, pushing the gnarled finger off of him, but the man cut him off.

"Is that a gun?" he asked suddenly, looking behind Dean's back. The barrel was poking out from between his back and the duffle. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Would you believe that we're hunting ghosts?" Buffy asked. Dean rolled his eyes; all these years fighting the supernatural, and yet she had no tact. Or maybe she was just a really bad liar and she knew it.

"You damn kids and your ghost stories," he said. He shoved his flashlight into Dean's face, studying him. He then turned the light on Buffy and studied her face too. "Although, you two are quite a bit older than I'm used to seeing…"

"Who you calling 'old?'" Dean shot back angrily. 39 wasn't _that_ old, after all.

"Listen here, Fred and Daphne, I ain't got time fer your crap. Now get off my land before I call the cops," he said, sounding crotchety. Did he just call Dean "Fred?" Oh, he wasn't about to let that slide… hell no... _Buffy is totally a Daphne, though… Hot._

Dean was about to push back when loud laughter cut him off. He couldn't pretend that he'd imagined it this time.

"Who's there?" cried the old man, shinning his flashlight all around him, trying to figure out where the laughter had come from.

Suddenly, Buffy was thrown into the air from where she'd been standing. She landed with a _thud_ about 10 feet away; fortunately, she missed hitting any headstones. Dean could only just make her out in the fog, but she appeared to be moving.

"What the hell?!" the old man screeched, having seen Buffy get thrown.

"Run, get out of here!" Dean shouted at the man, but he just stood there, frozen to the spot, still shinning his flashlight on Buffy, who appeared to be trying to get up. Dean ran over to her just as she managed to get to her feet. She looked disheveled, but mostly unharmed. Sam had told him that Slayers were a lot harder to hurt than regular people. And supposedly, they could heal faster too. Once again, Dean was slightly jealous of this girl's natural abilities.

She brushed herself off. "I'm OK," she told him when she saw him watching her. The laughter had died and Dean still hadn't actually seen the ghost. Buffy ran up to the owner. "Where's Theodore Ball buried?" she asked him urgently.

Dean followed her, holding his shotgun in front of him, prepared to shoot if he saw the ghost. He held the flashlight in his left hand, under the barrel so that it would direct the beam to wherever he pointed the gun. The owner was still staring at the two of them, shock obvious on his face.

"What was…"

Buffy cut him off, "Theodore Ball. Where is his grave?" He stared at her completely uncomprehendingly. Buffy slapped him. "Wake up and answer me!" she demanded. Dean strongly suspected that the slap probably hurt like a mother. It did seem to wake up the old man.

"The-the ma-mausoleum," he stuttered, staring at her.

"Where?" Dean asked, still scanning the area around them. He couldn't see a mausoleum through the fog. He didn't see any sign of the ghost either. The old man may have been crabby, but he was still an innocent to be protected. "We don't have time to search –"

His comment was cut off as the old man screamed. He was shaking and then pointed to something just behind Dean.

"Sonuva…" Dean spun around and fired his gun at the hulking figure standing right behind him. The large man, who had to be taller than Sammy, disappeared before the blast of salt hit him.

"Where is –" but Dean was cut off again as he suddenly felt like he was being beaten with sticks. He could feel welts and cuts appearing on his arms and legs where the blows hit. His clothes didn't seem to be providing him any protection. He was knocked to the ground, still feeling the shocks come. He could see the old man and Buffy also on the ground, covering their faces with their arms. Dean could see cuts and bruises forming on both of them.

The hulking figure of the ghost reappeared standing over him, and Dean, who'd managed to keep a hold of his gun, shot him in the face. The beatings stopped and he and Buffy got their feet.

Dean ran to the owner and pulled him to his feet. He looked like he was hurting, but not too badly injured, not yet. "The mausoleum – where is it?" he shook the man slightly. Finally, the man pointed toward the west end of the cemetery.

Dean tried to see where he was pointing, but in the fog, the only thing he could make out was a large rectangular shape a hundred yards away or so. He turned to Buffy, "Get him outta here!"

Buffy nodded and grabbed the man by the arm and started running. He grunted and was forced to follow her, at a pace much faster than he was probably normally capable of. They dodged tombstones and trees, going as straight as they could toward the exit. Dean watched them for only a few seconds before he turned and made a break for the mausoleum.

If Theodore Ball was in a mausoleum, there was a chance that he wasn't actually buried, which would save them a lot of time. Trying to fight off a ghost and dig up a grave were not two things that he wanted to do at the same time. Before he'd made it 50 feet however, the ghost reappeared in front of him, forcing him to a stop. A grin appeared on Ball's face and Dean felt the ground under his feet lurch as he was tossed sideways. The laughter started up again. He landed on the ground on his side, near a tree and rolled over, reaching into his pocket as he did so. He did his best not to crush the items in his duffle as he rolled.

He reloaded his shotgun with more salt rounds and looked around himself, but he didn't see the ghost. He'd left his flashlight back where he'd been beaten. It was a rookie mistake and he berated himself for it. Dean pulled himself to his feet again, feeling the pain in his legs from the beating and his side from where he'd landed.

Ignoring the pain, he made a beeline for the mausoleum again. He could just make it out now. He kept running, expecting to be thrown aside or beaten again at any minute. Hopefully, Buffy had gotten the old man out of dodge and was on her way back to him.

Surprisingly, he managed to get to the mausoleum, but he found it padlocked. _Damn it!_ He'd left his bolt cutters in the Impala, and he didn't think he had time to pick the lock. Maybe he could shoot it off? He reached for his regular gun, but just then, Buffy reappeared next to him. She saw the padlock and just grabbed it, pulling it off the door like it was made of paper. The padlock broke into pieces and she dropped them to the ground. Dean thought he caught a small smile on her face as she watched his reaction to this out of the corner of her eye. _Is she showing off?_

She then, unnecessarily, kicked the door open and they both ran inside.

"You couldn't just open the door?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Where's the fun in that?"

He shook his head and they looked around. Fortunately, Buffy still had her flashlight. Dean pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight app and they started studying the small room they were in. There were plaques with various Ball family member names on the walls and in the center was a dusty tomb. The name "Theodore Ball" was carved into the stone on top. They both moved toward it, but were then once again greeted by the ghost, who was blocking his own grave.

Dean thrust his phone back into his pocket, and repositioned his shotgun at the dark figure. Before he could take another shot however, the beatings started up again. Dean tried to remain upright, but couldn't quite manage it, falling to the floor, arms over his face. He could already feel the bruises forming, and if this continued much longer, he was going to have much worse injuries than just some cuts and bruises.

Amazingly, Dean could see that Buffy had managed to stay on her feet. She took an invisible blow, which knocked her sideways into a wall, but she gripped the fence post that she was still carrying and swung at the ghost, who was just standing there watching the beatings. He puffed into mist and the beatings stopped. Buffy reached down, offering a hand up to Dean, who accepted it.

She pulled him to his feet. Dean felt like he'd been run over by a truck, but he ignored the pain. He'd had much worse after all, and he didn't think anything was broken. He walked over to the ghost's tomb (desperately trying not to limp in front of Buffy), and began trying to push the lid off the stone grave. It didn't budge.

"Would you like some a-cist-tance?" she asked, grinning up at him and joining him next to the ossuary. He looked at her with eyebrows raised. He was not going to give her the benefit of groaning at her bad joke. It would be more entertaining to make her think he wasn't getting it.

"Umm… yeah?"

"Get it? …cause it's a cist?"

"No," Dean continued to star at her, holding back his grin.

"A stone-made coffin found in mausoleums… they're called cists."

"You're not funny," he said, still waiting for the actual help that she'd offered. He'd known the word, but it was funnier watching her try to explain. She was ridiculous and it frustrated her that he wasn't playing along. He had to keep from laughing at the face she'd made when she thought he didn't get her pun.

She grinned at him again, "I think I'm adorable."

"Moving on… just… yes I want some assist – help. I could use some help."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him and he couldn't help it when his lips turned up at the corners. Buffy easily pushed the lid off the cist. The stone crashed to the floor on the other side and looking in, they could see the skeletal remains of Theodore Ball. His clothes looked like they might have been a nice suit back around the turn of the century, but now they were just rags. Dean dropped his duffle, which had amazingly managed to stay on his back during the ghost encounters, and reached for the salt.

Unfortunately, the ghost reappeared at that moment and Dean quickly said, "Keep him occupied while I light his bitch-ass up." Buffy nodded and swung her rod at the ghost again.

The ghost vanished before she hit him and he reappeared on the other side of the crypt. Buffy rushed him again while Dean quickly dumped the salt on his corpse. He threw the salt container away and grabbed the lighter fluid, squeezing the bottle to pour that on him too. Buffy, getting frustrated at chasing the ghost around the room, muttered, "screw this," and she snapped the iron rod in her hand in half. She then threw one half at the ghost on the other side of the room like a javelin. Her aim was impressive and thrown with such force that it hit the wall behind where Ball had been standing and stuck in the stone. Unfortunately, Ball had vanished out of the way before the rod hit him and he reappeared behind Buffy. Buffy had been expecting this though, and was already spinning around.

Dean grabbed the lighter from his pocket and quickly threw the lit item on the body, which promptly burst into flames. Dean looked up just in time to see Buffy swinging her remaining half of a weapon, as Theodore Ball's eyes went wide and he was consumed in the fire too. Buffy lowered the iron piece of fencing and turned back to Dean, the inferno raging behind him in the stone tomb.

"Nice work," she said.

"You too. Guess I needed a little help on this case after all," he admitted.

"Just a little?"

"Don't push it, sweetheart," he smiled at her and she laughed. They gathered up their things and turned, leaving the mausoleum behind.

XXXX

Dean and Buffy arrived back at their motel shortly after 10. It still felt early to Dean and he actually considered just going back to the bunker tonight. He proposed this to Buffy, but she just yawned saying something about "needing her beauty rest."

"You sure you aren't just trying to extend our little field trip?" he flashed her his winning smile, though it didn't seem to work on Buffy nearly as well as it did on other women. He remembered thinking that she'd be a challenge the first time he'd met her all those years ago, and he'd been right. But that made it so much more fun.

"Keep dreaming," she told him. Her room was right next to his and for some reason, he felt like walking her to her door. She shook her head at him when she realized what he was doing. She stopped in front of her room and turned to look at him. "I hope you aren't expecting a kiss," she said, a smile on her face.

"Actually, I was hoping for a bit more," he said both teasingly and honestly, though he knew what the answer would be.

"Not. A. Chance," she said slowly and clearly. Then, like the tease that she was, she winked at him before turning and slamming the door in his face. _She's doing this on purpose!_ he realized, _Little minx._ Did that mean that he had a chance, or did that mean that she was just having fun with him? If she'd shot him down flat, he probably would have given up by now, but the singing and dancing in the car, the wink just now, these small things told him that she was enjoying his attention.

He shook his head, chuckling at the games women liked to play, and turned back toward his own door. He was still hurting from the fight with the ghost, but he popped some pain pills and ignored it. His room was small and crappy, as expected, and he sat down on his bed, more awake than he'd like to be. If he went to bed now, he knew that he would just stare at the ceiling for hours – he was too used to late nights and early mornings. Going to bed at a reasonable time just didn't compute in his world, so he turned on the TV.

They'd agreed to leave in the morning, grab a quick breakfast and then head back to the bunker. But for now, Dean pulled out his gun to clean it, when the sound of wind manifesting in the room met his ears.

He looked up, startled to see someone standing in the shadows. He raised his gun, which he thankfully hadn't yet taken apart and pointed it at the figure, who's face he couldn't see. He stood up, saying, "Who are you?"

The figure gripped the back of the chair that was sitting in front of the desk and the TV clicked off.

"Dean," came a familiar voice.

"Son of a bitch, what are you doing here?" Dean said, lowering his gun. It would be no use against Michael.

"Dean. Dean. My vessel!" Michael said, stepping into the light. He looked more wild than he had the other day. His clothes were ragged and hanging off of him. His blonde hair was wild and unkempt. His eyes darted from the windows to the door, to the bathroom, to the lamp (which clicked off and back on again), and finally back to Dean.

"The slayer," Michael yelled suddenly. Dean was suddenly very worried. What would Michael need with Buffy? "Slay my brother. Winning the crown. Turtle doves flying toward the horizon. Flying toward their doom." He tripped and his eyes widened as he caught himself on the second bed in the room. He stood up again and looked wildly around. He stared at the corner near the door. "Playing with my food! Ukugijima kude nokukhanya. Trying to... trying to... What is it? Ige mwoya? Sorehanandesuka? No. NO! Why can't I find the word?"

"Focus, man," Dean said, trying to sound soothing. "What about the slayer?"

"Slayer. Fall, Winter, Spring, Summers!" Michael jumped in the air and landed with his arms over his head like a gymnast sticking the landing.

"Yes, Buffy Summers. What about her?" Dean asked carefully.

"Nothing. No no no no. Not the flame. Madness, vessel. It infects everywhere. I followed the seasons to you. The season knew you. Had to find. Find. Find the squirrel. Die somer het my na die swaard gelei. Sword. My sword," Michael moaned, staring at Dean. He seemed like he was trying very hard to communicate. Dean was attempting to follow, but the random bursts into other languages was making it difficult. "The colors bloom toward the sun!" Michael yelled the last sentence, glaring at the ceiling.

Dean reached for his knife. Michael wasn't making sense, and as he continued talking, he seemed to be getting more frustrated. An agitated and crazy Archangel was not something Dean wanted to be in a room alone with. Michael might decide to kill him at any minute.

Suddenly, the door to Dean's room burst open, Buffy standing behind it. She rushed inside, looking around for danger. The door, thankfully, swung shut behind her. "I heard yelling," she told Dean before her eyes found Michael. She gasped.

"The victor!" Michael cried, pointing at Buffy. "The finish line contains my sword. Dean! Dean Pistol. My sword!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not your sword. We've been through this. I'll never say 'yes' to you," Dean said quickly. Michael blinked, clearly confused. Buffy ran over to Dean to face Michael alongside him. He appreciated her boldness, but a part of him wished she'd stayed in her room where it was safe. Suddenly Dean realized that Michael had found Dean the same way that Gabriel had – through Buffy.

"The tupperware is not powerful enough," Michael said, as if that explained everything. Dean managed to cut his hand and began to draw the sigil on the wall next to him. "No, no no. Sword. Magic contains the word. Don't set off the bomb! The oak tree grows and dies, and my brother laughs."

"And what about my brother, huh?" Dean asked, getting distracted. "If I were to say yes, what would happen to Adam?"

Michael stared at him for a moment, looking puzzled. Then he stared down at his hands, Adam's hands. "Cain killed Adam and Eve." That was probably the closest to an answer Dean would get. Michael went on, "your brother, my brother. Sverdet dreper broren. No running toward the ocean. The ocean will drown the moose."

"Whatever, I know you're bat-shit, but I think I get it. I said 'no' 8 years ago, and I'm saying 'no' now. I won't be a party to you and Lucifer's pissing contest to destroy the world," Dean said. "So, get out." He continued drawing the sigil on the wall, which he'd briefly forgotten about during Michael's rambling.

"NO!" Michael cried, and suddenly a golden angel blade was in his hand. Dean and Buffy both stared at it for a moment, before Dean remembered that it was a fake and Gabriel had the real one. Even if Michael were to face Lucifer, that blade wouldn't be able to kill him. But it could still kill Dean and Buffy easily enough.

"It's my father's will, Dean!" Michael cried. "The Lord wills that Lucifer be killed. We must fight!" Dean was surprised at Michael's coherence. It seemed to be causing him difficulty and he was breathing heavily, eyes lidded. The faux-Archangel blade was hanging limply from his hand.

"Chuck is gone, man!" Dean said back, trying to reach the Archangel. "God is gone and he isn't coming back. He doesn't care about your stupid apocalypse!" Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see Buffy looking at him curiously and mouthing the word "chuck." He and Sam hadn't mentioned Chuck in the story they'd told her about Michael and Lucifer. It hadn't really been relevant at the time.

Michael's grip tightened on the golden blade, "The buttresses are flying and the sword cannot stop them!" Michael took another step forward, and Dean rushed to finish the sigil that he'd once again forgotten about. Buffy adopted a fighting stance; Dean wasn't sure how she'd fare against an angel. He was pretty sure that she'd never fought one before. At that moment, however, another figure materialized out of nowhere.

It was Lucifer.

"Hello, brother," he said, his eyes burning red.

Michael's head swiveled like an owl's and his eyes went wide. His grip on the fake blade in his hands tightened even further. Dean furiously worked on the sigil. "No. Not the time! Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me?"

Lucifer tilted his head at his brother, a pleased grin on his face, "I'm glad to see all those years in the cage together didn't go to waste." Lucifer turned to Buffy. "Heellloo Slayer," he said gleefully. He clapped his hands together and bopped his shoulders as though being introduced to someone he'd wanted to meet for a long time. "I gotta thank you for the assistance, dear. Without you, I never would have found Dean. And since I knew my brother was looking for Dean – so predictable, by the way – you led me straight to him once he came out of hell. So, thank you."

"You're the Devil?" she asked. There wasn't a hint of fear in her voice. More skepticism.

"You know, I always thought that title was unfair. And, since I'm now the unquestioned ruler of heaven, I think I'd like it better if you called me God," he said in his deceivingly soft voice, sounding as though this was the most logical thing in the world.

"Never gunna happen," Buffy said through gritted teeth. Dean wondered if she knew how completely boned they were. He was willing to bet that she did.

"Deeeaaan," Lucifer sang, "Whatcha doin'?" Dean looked down and saw that the sigil he'd almost finished was now gone. _Shit!_

Suddenly, Michael lunged at Lucifer, blade held high. Lucifer caught his arm easily and pushed Michael to the ground. The blade fell onto the floor and Lucifer picked it up, examining it. "Brother, I know your crackers and everything, but even you should have been able to tell that this blade would not be able to kill me."

Michael lunged for Lucifer again, growling like a feral dog. Lucifer stepped back, laughing. Dean took the opportunity to quickly start working on the sigil again. He worked as fast as he could. Buffy, seeing what he was doing, did her best to use her tiny body to hide him from view.

"I don't think this will be much of a fight, Mikey," Lucifer said, when Michael crashed into a lamp. Lucifer was gazing at his brother with a mixture of pity and amusement on his face.

"The leprechauns will guide my rainbow to the everlight!" Michael shouted.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Lucifer asked. He never stopped grinning, watching Michael, who tripped over his own feet, and fell on his face. "How did you even manage to kill Asmodeus in this state? Or take over Hell. No, seriously, I wanna know."

"You… brother…" Michael wheezed, looking up at Lucifer. "the adversary." He tried to stand up, but his arms and legs appeared unsteady and he wobbled as he rose.

"True, but this blade you have still won't kill me," Lucifer said. He tossed it on the chair near Michael who watched it fly across the room like a sports fan watching tennis. "This one, however," Lucifer pulled out an identical Archangel blade, "will most definitely kill you. Goodbye, my brother."

In one fluid motion, Lucifer stepped forward and plunged the golden sword into Michael, who made only the feeblest attempt to stop him. Light streamed out of his eyes and mouth as he screamed. Lucifer dropped his brother's body to the floor, where the smoky remains of wings were burned into the carpet and nearby walls. "Well," Lucifer said, turning to Buffy and Dean, his eyes glowing red again and a wicked grin on his face, "that was fun. Who's next?" His eyes found Dean, "You know, I think I'd like to pull this flannel thorn out of my wing once and for—"

"Adios, bitch!" Dean spat. He slammed his bleeding hand onto the sigil he'd finally managed to finish and Lucifer was blasted away.

"We've got to get out of here!" Dean grabbed Buffy, grabbed his bag, and fled the room, leaving his younger brother's broken body behind.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
Lincoln, NE  
I-80 W

"Soooo, on a scale of _Mmmbop_ to _Crazy Train_ , exactly how screwed are we?" Buffy asked, as Dean sped down the highway. She fiddled with the radio and just as she finished asking the question, she found a station.

 _Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer  
_ _You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer_

 _Helter Skelter, Helter Skelter_

Buffy blinked, staring at the radio. That had to be a coincidence – right? Dean eyed the radio too, as Buffy pulled her hand away uncomfortably. Then he looked over at Buffy, eyebrows raised. "Any other questions?" he asked. He turned the radio off and pulled out his phone, quickly calling Sam. He put the phone on speaker.

"Hey," came Sam's voice when he answered. "How's the case going?"

"Already done," Dean said quickly. "We're on our way back now."

"Already? I thought maybe you and Buffy…."

"Not now, Sammy," Dean cut him off, his eyes quickly bounced to Buffy before he looked back at the road again. Buffy felt her cheeks burn. Did _everyone_ think that she and Dean were going to hook up? Dean continued, "Listen, some serious shit just went down and I need you to make sure that everyone is in the bunker and the wards are holding."

Sam's voice quickly became serious, "What happened?"

"We'll explain everything when we get there, just grab everyone and make sure you're all locked in. Check the wards – double check them. See if Willow can do anything more to lock the place down," Dean said.

"Dude, what…"

"Just do it, Sammy!" Dean yelled. "We're on our way back now. Be there soon." Dean hung up.

"You seem tense," Buffy observed, an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed. He kept his eyes on the road and didn't smile at her quip.

"Well, yeah. I'm pretty sure that Lucifer now controls both heaven and hell. So, it's only a matter of time before he moves on Earth. And the first thing he's gunna do, is come after us."

"Why? I thought he didn't need Sam as a vessel anymore?"

"He doesn't, but we've been screwing with his plans for years. If nothing else, he wants his son back and he knows we know where Jack is," Dean explained. Buffy nodded, understanding. Her head was still struggling to comprehend the entire story that Sam and Dean had told her when Gabriel first showed up, but she did her best.

"It's more vital than ever that we get to Earth Numero Dos and find him now, isn't it?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah…"

She felt them speed up as Dean put his foot down. Dean then explained how he was pretty sure that all the angels, including Lucifer, were tracking him through her and the sooner they got to the bunker, where the angels couldn't get in, the better. They also might have a harder time tracking her while inside as well. Buffy didn't think that Dean was saying these things to make her feel guilty, but more just to make her aware. Regardless, she did feel slightly responsible about leading both Michael and Lucifer to Dean, but what could she have possibly done about it? Apparently, Cas had branded both Sam and Dean's ribs years ago so that angels couldn't find them. Maybe he could do the same for her?

Dean cut the three hour drive down to less than 2 and they spent the time mostly in silence, both trying to come to terms with what had just happened. If she and Dean hadn't left the bunker, would any of this had happened? Guilt weighed heavily on Buffy's shoulders the longer she thought about it – the way it used to when something she'd done risked the world's safety. Like sleeping with Angel. Or not stopping Willow before she'd gone off the deep end. Or choosing to focus on a couple of vampires instead of a rising darkness in South America…

"I'm sorry, Dean," Buffy said after a while, when they were still an hour outside of Lebanon.

"For what?"

"For leading Michael and Lucifer to you," she said, staring out the window. It was nearly midnight, and it was dark out. There was a heavy cloud cover that hid the moon and stars. The sky seemed to match her mood.

Through the reflection in the window, Buffy saw him look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. "Not your fault, Buffy. It was bound to happen eventually. And if you hadn't been there, that ghost hunt might have gone very differently for me, so let's call it even." She nodded, but didn't say anything else, not very reassured by his words. But then she realized that he'd called her "Buffy" instead of "sweetheart" or "blondie" or whatever other stupid nicknames he'd called her. He was being sincere. That _did_ make her feel a bit better and she gave him a grateful smile.

When they arrived back to the bunker, they quickly grabbed their things and ran inside. It'd been a couple hours since Dean had blown Lucifer away with the sigil, and there was a good chance he would catch up to them if they didn't get inside immediately. According to Dean, there was a chance that the only reason he hadn't caught up to them yet was because they actually had some warding on the car that might be blocking his ability to track Buffy. Or possibly, he'd decided to go ahead and reconquer hell before dealing with them. But he didn't think either would stop him for long – only the bunker would be safe. Hopefully.

Only once Buffy and Dean were inside the bunker, and the door was shut behind them, did they start to breathe a little easier. But it didn't last long.

"Dean!" came Sam's voice from below them. The others all rushed into the Crow's Nest and were staring up at them. They looked panicked, though slightly comforted to see both Dean and Buffy.

Buffy and Dean went down the stairs, Dean throwing his duffle bag on the table. Sam grabbed him in a quick hug and Willow did the same to Buffy.

"Thank the godess!" Willow said.

"Dean," Cas said, when Sam released his brother. The angel sounded relieved. "It's good you're back so soon. Something serious has happened."

"Yeah, we know," Dean said, turning to Cas. "Lucifer killed Michael."

"How'd you…"

"We were there," Buffy said quickly. Everyone turned to her with eyebrows raised. Willow and Giles looked even more concerned than before. Cas and Sam, however, looked more thoughtful than surprised. "Michael tracked Dean through me, and Lucifer, knowing what Michael was trying to do, did the same thing."

"How the hell did you get out of there?" Sam asked.

"Blew Lucifer away with the anti-angel sigil," Dean explained. "Tore-ass back here as soon as he was gone. How'd you all know what happened?"

"Angel radio," Cas said. "It started an hour ago or so. Lucifer has reclaimed hell."

Dean and Buffy shared a look. So, Dean had been right. It hadn't taken very long. Of course, with both Asmodeus and Michael gone, it probably wasn't very hard.

"Cas," Dean said. "Can you brand Buffy's ribs with the Enochian warding like you did for Sam and me?" It seemed that Dean had the same idea that she'd had. She nodded to him appreciatively.

"I should be able to," he said. He walked over to Buffy and placed a hand on her chest. She felt a little awkward, but then a deep burning sensation hit her and she gasped. He removed his hand and she looked back up. He nodded and then turned to Willow and Giles, "You are both well-known allies of the Slayer. It would be best if I protected you as well, if you have no objections."

Giles and Willow both looked inquisitively at Buffy, who nodded. They both agreed and Cas branded them as well. They took it in stride and were soon thanking Cas.

"Angels will no longer be able to sense you anywhere on Earth, in heaven, or hell," Cas said.

They all congregated back in the library, Dean plopping down in a chair, though Buffy chose to remain standing, considering they'd been sitting for the last couple hours. The others all sat down as well, Sam rubbing his face in a resigned fashion. Buffy studied one face after another. It was clear that they hadn't found anything new since they'd left that morning.

"So, now what do we do?" she asked the room at large. "If Lucifer controls both heaven and hell, I'm guessing he'll be more powerful than ever?"

"Without question," Cas answered. He looked more troubled now than he had when they'd rescued him from the barn where Michael had been torturing him.

"I don't suppose you've found anything today?" Dean asked, not sounding very hopeful.

"No," Sam said simply. Dean nodded, having already known the answer. They all fell silent, considering their predicament. But then, Dean's phone rang. In the silence, the _Smoke on the Water_ ringtone seemed extremely loud.

Sam looked at his brother curiously, and Dean's eyebrows furrowed when he pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID. Buffy could just see a strange 9-digit number appear on the screen before he answered. (874) 25-7837. He put the phone on speaker.

"Yeah?" he said, as a way of greeting. He looked suspicious.

"Dean, where are you?" came the voice on the other end.

"Who's this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh c'mon, Deano. After all we've been through together and you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended," the voice on the line said.

Dean looked up at Sam, who's eyes had gone wide. "Gabriel?" Sam guessed. Dean made a face and threw the phone on the table between him and Sam and leaned forward, jaw set. Willow and Giles were watching the brothers and the phone carefully, looking pensive.

"Sam! So nice to hear your voice. But back to the point, where are you two chuckleheads?" Gabriel asked again.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Isn't it obvious? My brother just killed my other brother and is taking over the universe. I figure your Flying Circus is trying to find a way to stop him. And…" Gabriel sighed, "I want to help. If I let Lucifer take over the world, you think there's going to be anything left to keep me entertained? Heellllllllll no. So, this is me. Offering my help."

"He may be telling the truth, and if he is, he could be a great asset," Cas said, looking between Sam and Dean.

"Is that little Castiel?" Gabriel asked, sounding delighted. "You still hanging out with these two yahoos, bro? Sticking with them, I'm shocked you're still alive."

"Gabriel," Cas said, raising his voice to reach the phone in front of Dean. "If you are sincere in your offer of help, we would be in your debt."

"No!" Dean interjected quickly, glaring at Cas. "No, we wouldn't. If you've finally decided to grow a pair, and you wanna help, you dick, then come help. But we won't owe you anything. I know you. You don't want to see the Earth destroyed any more than we do. You'd be helping yourself just as much as us. So, if you're in, then be in, I'm not going to let you hold this over us." Was Dean serious? He couldn't ask for help from an _Archangel_ because he didn't want to _owe_ him anything? It was true, Buffy didn't have much experience with angels, but this seemed like a good time to put crap like this away. Sam was looking at Dean with an unreadable expression on his face. Like he wanted to contradict Dean, but at the same time agreed with him, so he didn't say anything.

"Fair enough, bucko. So?"

"So, what?" Dean asked.

"So, where are you, dipshit? I can't get a fix on the Slayer anymore, Cas' doing I suppose?" Gabriel asked, clearly exasperated.

Buffy raised her eyebrows at Gabriel's language… He'd been giving the boys nicknames since she'd met him, but she was starting to realize that angels didn't feel the need to be sacred, or immaculate, or whatever else one might expect from God's chosen. She wondered if Dean was right, and most angels really were dicks.

Dean put the phone on mute and turned to look at everyone else in the room. "We all need to be in agreement on this. If we let Gabriel in, then we're trusting him." He turned to Sam first, who agreed, then Cas. One by one, everyone in the room agreed to bring Gabriel in.

"Lebanon, KS," Dean said, after they all consented, unmuting the phone. "I'll text you the address."

"See you soon, boys," Gabriel said before hanging up. Sighing, Dean texted their address to the number that Gabriel had called him from.

"Do angels have to use cell phones a lot?" Buffy asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Since the Fall, yes. With the exception of the angels that were protected one way or the other," Sam explained, "most angels can't just come and go as they please anymore. They have to communicate and travel like everyone else for the most part. But they can still sense people, find them, and communicate via angel radio."

"'The Fall?'" Buffy repeated.

But before Sam could explain any further, a loud banging came from the front door. "That would be Gabriel," Cas said.

"I'll lower the warding so he can enter," Willow said.

"Actually, hold up on that for a sec and come with me," Dean said. "I'd like to make sure the warding is working on an Archangel first." Dean lead Willow back to the front entrance, and Buffy and Cas followed curiously. Sam and Giles stayed where they were, pulling some books to them once again.

When Dean opened the door, they found Gabriel on the other side. He had found himself some clean clothes and a shower since the last time they'd seen him. His hair was a dirty blonde, and he had an oval face, with a sarcastic look on it, and a pointed nose. His long side burns went below his ears and he had a few days of scruff on his chin. He was wearing a waterproof canvas jacket and dark jeans. Buffy idly thought that for an Archangel, he looked entirely ordinary. Shouldn't he have some kind of powerful aura around him or something? Michael hadn't had that either, but Buffy had chalked that up to his state of mind. But Lucifer certainly had it; those glowing red eyes, his sheer presence – it was nothing short of awesome. Gabriel didn't make a move to come in.

"Well?" Dean said, moving aside to give Gabriel space to pass him. The others eyed him warily.

"Your wards are still up, dumbass," Gabriel shot back. He reached out and tried to pass his hand through the doorway, but there was a stirring in the air and Gabriel recoiled at the slight shock he received.

"Just checking." Dean grinned and turned to Willow, "OK, do your thing."

Willow raised her hands, but Buffy didn't see or feel anything apart from a very slight pulse that seemed to emit from Willow's palms. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw a symbol on a wall nearby appear, glow, and then vanish again.

"Thank you," Gabriel said, stepping through the door.

Willow did her spell again and the wardings reappeared. Gabriel was eyeing Willow curiously as they walked back to the library as a group.

When everyone was sitting down again, Gabriel studied Willow carefully. "Willow Rosenberg," he said and Buffy knew that it wasn't a question. She was getting uncomfortable with all these angels just knowing who she and her friends were. Willow nodded, shifting in her seat and looking a bit like the awkward girl Buffy knew in high school, who didn't like to be noticed. Gabriel continued, "You're quite the powerful ginger, aren't you?" He continued to study her while everyone sat in silence around them. The tension was palpable. "Impressive," he finally added quietly, nodding and smiling.

Cas cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, "I think I might have an idea." Everyone looked at him expectantly, a small amount of hope coming to several pairs of eyes. "Willow has been describing to me the magicks that she used to awaken all the potential slayers, along with some other… more powerful spells that she's cast over the years. It had occurred to me before now that if we combined her strength with that of an Archangel, we might be able to open the rift to the other universe. Unfortunately, up until now, I didn't think we'd be able to do that." He looked pointedly at Gabriel.

Gabriel smiled and spread his hands in an open gesture, "But now that I'm here, you want my power to rescue the Spawn of Satan."

"His name is Jack," Dean said, sounding defensive. "And he's not evil." Buffy thought that Dean seemed to be trying to convince himself as well as Gabriel. Cas and Sam both nodded at Dean's words.

Gabriel clapped his hands together and said, "Just checking… But I'm afraid the witch and I aren't _quite_ enough to open a portal to another world." Cas' face fell and a resigned sigh ran around the table. _What the hell will it take to open this damn door?_ Buffy wondered.

"How much more power would be needed?" she asked. Maybe it was something they could actually get? Her hopes weren't high, though.

Gabriel looked thoughtful, "I would say we'd need one of three things to do it, along with an actual spell and ingredients. We would need a second Archangel, which we certainly aren't going to get since Lucifer is the only other one left. Or another half dozen angels, which might prove difficult considering most of them are now working for the aforementioned Archangel, and the rest want Jack dead. Or a dozen or more witches." Willow perked up at this, but then Gabriel continued, effectively stopping her in her tracks, "But there's a good chance that a regular witch would be burned out by something of this magnitude." Buffy had been right not to get her hopes up.

"Awesome," Dean muttered.

"Or," Gabriel said, bringing a finger to his chin and looking like he was considering something. "One more witch at or near Ginger's level," he said, nodding to Willow.

The Winchesters both looked at each other with matching expressions of dread on their faces. Cas saw this and his eyes widened. Clearly they were all thinking of something that they didn't want to think about, but Buffy was completely lost as to what that might be.

Dean turned to Gabriel, resignation in his voice, "We might know someone…"

But Sam cut him off, "Dude, you can't seriously be considering..." He trailed off, staring at his brother. Cas was looking equally concerned as he, too, watched Dean.

Dean met his brother's eyes and said, "Yeah. We're gunna have to call Rowena…"

"The witch who tried to start the 'Mega Coven' a few years back!?" Willow exclaimed in shock.

XXXX

"Hello, Samuel. Dean," the short woman said when she was let into the bunker. Buffy was surprised by this woman. From what Willow had hinted at and what Dean, Sam, and Cas had said, this woman was almost as powerful at Willow. Or maybe even her match (Willow wasn't willing to admit it). But this woman, who had even brighter red hair than Willow, looked barely middle aged and was no taller than Buffy herself. She was wearing a strangely elegant green gown that, when mixed with her long, curly, red hair, made her look a bit like Poison Ivy. She had a very strong Scottish accent. According to Willow she was hundreds of years old. Would the magicks allow Willow to live that long too?

She walked into the library like she owned the place, and it was clear that she'd been here several times before. Sam, Dean, and Cas watched her like she was a live viper. They clearly didn't trust her. Willow was just as suspicious, based on an apparently failed coup attempt on a large coven.

When Rowena saw Willow, her eyes narrowed and Willow stood up to face her, just as wary. Rowena tilted her head and studied the other woman.

"So, you're the new High Priestess of the Grand Coven, eh?" Rowena asked. There was a hint of anger in her voice.

"Someone had to step up after _you_ turned the last one into a hamster," Willow shot back.

"That was just a wee misunderstanding, dear," Rowena said, batting her eyelashes. "Olivette simply wouldn't listen to reason and remove the Power Sealing Spell on me. Measures had to be taken."

"And where, exactly, is she now?" Willow asked, raising her eyebrows. "No one has seen her in several years."

"Oh, I can't be bothered to know what my dear son might have done with her. She was in hell the last time I saw her," Rowena said, cheerfully.

"And I see that the Power Sealing Spell has been removed. I'm sure that's a complete coincidence," Willow said sarcastically.

"Actually, that was due to a little help from the Brother's Winchester here," Rowena grinned at Sam, who scowled.

"What the hell did you do?!" Willow said, turning to the brothers. There was a burst of wind suddenly, and black veins appeared in the whites of Willow's eyes. Never a good sign. The burst of wind pushed both men backward, their open overshirts being blown out behind them. They both blinked and stared at Willow, eyes wide. Buffy decided to step in and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Giles did the same thing on the other side. His face was stern, but neither of them feared her going off the deep end again. She had more control than that – this was just a parlor trick, meant to scare the boys into owning up to whatever they had done.

"Willow," Buffy said, a hint of a warning in her voice. "Whatever happened, it's too late to change anything now. Let it go. We need them. And it sounds like we need her too."

The wind stopped blowing at the brothers and Willows eyes returned to normal. She turned to Buffy, "OK Buff, but I'm not going to trust this woman. Did you know that her son was actually the King of Hell for a while?" Buffy stared from Willow to Rowena.

"And you don't need to trust me, dear," Rowena said, sitting down and crossing her legs. "But now that I've got my powers back, rest assured that I have no interest whatsoever in hurting your little coven. Now, hurting Lucifer. That I wouldn't mind doing. For a price, of course."

"Rowena…" Sam said warningly.

"You know my price, Samuel," Rowena said, blinking sweetly.

"Ah!" came Gabriel's voice. He'd been in the kitchen when she'd arrived, supposedly looking for candy. "This must be the witch," he said. He eyed Rowena, looking her up and down, and grinned. "I like her."

Rowena positively gushed, "And you must be Gabriel. I must say, I'm simply honored to be meeting you. So much more… interesting and kind than your brother. He tried to kill me, you know."

"Tried?" Dean scoffed. "He succeed. Twice, by my count."

"And yet, here I am. Ready and willing to help," Rowena never took her eyes off of Gabriel. In fact, she suddenly stood up, walking over to him and taking his hands in hers. "I'm so glad I could help you. That you trust me enough to help."

"We don't trust you, Rowena," Sam said to her back.

Rowena sighed and, still holding Gabriel's hand, sat back down at the table, dragging Gabriel into the chair next to her. He looked amused.

The others sat down too, the Winchesters, Cas, and Willow all looking at Rowena with extreme dislike and suspicion. Buffy and Giles sat down toward the end and glanced at each other. Buffy couldn't tell if Giles really didn't know anything about Rowena or if he was just being very British again. She was too focused on the others to make an assessment about his thoughts.

Rowena studied the people around her and rolled her eyes, "Very well. Boys, you know my price. For my help in this matter, I want the rest of the _Black Grimoire_."

"What?!" Willow cried out. She turned to the Winchesters, "You have it?"

"We have it," Sam said, not taking his eyes off Rowena. "How can we know you can be trusted with it? That you won't go around killing people with it?"

Rowena genuinely laughed, "Oh, Samuel. You're so cute when you try to be threatening. I could kill people easily _before_ I removed the Power Sealing Spell. I want the book purely for… academic purposes."

"Bullshit," Dean said.

"Always so eloquent, Dean," Rowena sighed, rolling her eyes. "Nevertheless, if what you've told me is true, and Lucifer really has taken over both heaven and hell, we're going to need his son back. You have the two most powerful witches in the world, and one of only two Archangels left, in this room, not to mention a slayer – don't think I couldn't tell what you were, dear – and your pet angel, and we _still_ won't be enough to stop him. You have to get to this other Earth and you need me to not only help you open the door, but probably open it again from the other side, which means I need to come with you. I'm going to be putting my life on the line here. I think what I ask for is simple recompense."

"Who says that we'll need you once we get there? If we find Jack, he's powerful enough that he should be able to open the door by himself," Dean pointed out.

"Actually, bucko. Not so much. My nephew still doesn't have control of his powers yet. He can barely hold it together. Everything of great power that he's done so far has been an accident based on what I've seen and heard. We can't count on him to get us back here. Ms. MacLeod here is right. We'll all have to go in order to open the door again and get home," Gabriel said.

Rowena laughed and said, "Oh, please, Gabriel. Call me Rowena." She batted her eyelashes again and Buffy had to force back her gag reflex. The Winchesters seemed to be doing the same thing, based on the repulsed looks on their faces.

Sam, Dean, and Cas exchanged looks. Sam tilted his head once and raised his eyebrows at the others, asking a silent question. Castiel, stoic as ever, just studied Rowena with narrowed eyes. Dean boldly pulled out his gun, put it on the table, and aimed it at Rowena.

"Witch killing bullets, Rowena. If, and I mean _if,_ we agree to this, we need to know that you'll keep your word and get us back with both our mom and Jack. And that if we give you the _Black Grimoire_ , you won't use it to harm any human beings. Otherwise, a bullet goes in your head, and this time, we'll make sure you stay dead. Deal?" Dean said bluntly and clearly. He looked around at the others in the room to make sure they agreed with his proposal. They all nodded. Buffy was getting more and more suspicious of this witch all the time, but she agreed too. Hopefully, she would keep her word. If she didn't, Buffy would help the Winchesters hunt her down.

Rowena rolled her eyes and pouted, "You're no fun." Then she eyed Dean and grinned, "Although, I do love it when you get all commanding like that. Very sexy, Dean." It was Dean's turn to roll his eyes. Rowena and Gabriel both chuckled and she went on, "Alright, you have a deal. I give you my solemn oath that I will help the people in this room get to the other Earth and return with Mother Mary and dear Jack. Once I have accomplished this, you'll give me the _Black Grimoire_ and I won't use what I learn from it to harm any human beings."

"Agreed," Sam said as Dean said, "Deal."

"Alright!" Gabriel clapped his hands together cheerfully. "Let's get this party started. Here's what we need…"

Over the next few hours, Gabriel worked closely with Willow, Rowena, Giles, and Cas working out the details of the spell that would get them to the other universe. According to the Archangel, this rift would only stay open for a few minutes, so they would have to pass through it quickly and then reopen it when they were ready to leave. They would have to bring all the ingredients they needed with them for the return trip.

Dean went to park his baby in the garage "for protection" while they were gone. Sam and Buffy met him there to pack up any weapons and ammunition that they thought they would need. They all also packed duffels and backpacks with clothes, food, and water, since they didn't know how long it would take them to find Jack and the Winchester's mother, Mary.

When they were ready to go, less than a day later, Buffy pulled Giles aside.

"Giles, I think it would be best if you stayed here," she said as gently as she could.

"What? Buffy, I think the more people that come, the better. The more likely you are to succeed," Giles said, surprised. Buffy studied her old watcher. And that was the problem. The simple truth of the matter was he was getting old. And she didn't want him getting hurt, or trapped, or even worse, killed, on this other Earth. Everything the others had told her about where they were going indicated to her that it was basically hell. She didn't want to put Giles into the middle of that.

"I need you here. Keep researching. You said it yourself that there were volumes and resources here that you'd never seen before. And if we don't come back…"

"Buffy…"

"…if we don't come back," she repeated. "I need to trust that you'll still be here to guide everyone back at HQ. Please, Giles. For me. I need to know that you're safe." She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes, silently pleading with him to listen to her.

"Very well," he sighed. She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him.

"We'll be back soon," she said, trying to sound reassuring. He hugged her back.

They all gathered outside the bunker: Willow, Dean, Sam, Cas, Gabriel, Rowena, and Buffy. Dean had entrusted the key to the bunker to Giles since he would be staying behind. With all the warding around the place, it was decided to do the spell outside where there wouldn't be as much magical interference.

Gabriel, Willow, and Rowena began to chant, "Ad alium se orbem terrarum Aperi ianuam. Ne ambules per nos sine timore de manu mali et mortis. Ad alium se orbem terrarum Aperi ianuam."

A bright light began to form into what Buffy could only describe as a rip in reality. She thought it would look like the hole that had formed when Glory tried to use Dawn as the key all those years ago, but it was completely different. The tear in the world was like a sinuous yellow line that moved slightly as though buffeted by a slight breeze. Everyone nodded, preparing themselves, and then they began to pass through it one at a time, a bright yellow light flashing every time someone disappeared into the other world.

Sam went first, followed by Cas. Then Willow, Gabriel, and Rowena. Dean looked at Buffy who still felt unsure. He smiled at her in a reassuring manner. He held out his hand to her. "Ready, Buffy?" he asked.

Surprising both herself and him, she took his hand, and they stepped together through the doorway into another world.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
Earth 2  
Location Unknown

They were standing in a dense forest, large trees surrounding them. The sky was grey, as it had been the previous time Dean had been here. There was sparse vegetation nearby apart from the trees, and Dean vaguely wondered if the war between heaven and hell hadn't done something to the land and weather. Glancing around, they couldn't see or hear anyone nearby. That was probably a good thing.

"So, this is Earth 2, huh?" Buffy asked, looking around too. She looked completely at ease, but the hand that still held his had a death grip. She was nervous. If she squeezed any harder, she might break his hand. Literally. But like her, he wasn't about to let that show on his face.

"What?" he asked. "Not the picturesque scene you were imagining?"

"I guess I didn't know what to expect. But this… it just looks so… dead."

"Yeah, well, a heavenly war with hell will do that to a planet," Dean shrugged.

"Everything OK?" Sam asked, looking at them. Behind Buffy and Dean, the light of the rift flickered and died. Dean realized at the same time Buffy did, that Sam was eyeing their still entwined hands, an eyebrow raised in curiosity . Buffy immediately let go before any of the others turned and saw what Sam had been looking at. Dean thought Willow might have caught it though, based on the smirk on her face. Looking back at Buffy, he thought he saw her cheeks redden, but it was hard to tell in the perpetual twilight that this world seemed to live in.

"Fine," Buffy said, not meeting either Sam's or Dean's eyes. "So, now that we're here, where do we start?" she asked, seemingly to try to gloss over the slight awkwardness that had arisen.

"First," Sam said, his eyes shining at her reaction and a slight grin on his face, "we need to find someone who knows the territory." He reached into his bag and pulled out an old, dirty cap. Bobby. Sam turned to Willow. "This belonged to a friend of ours from our Earth. Any chance you could use this to find his doppelganger here?"

"Oh… I have a special thing with doppelgangers," Willow said. "Trust me, I know how to track them." She took the hat.

Buffy smiled at Willow's comment and Dean knew that there was a story there. Maybe when they had some time, he could ask about it.

They stood around her, and in less than 5 minutes, Willow had a locator spell working. They didn't have a map, since they weren't sure if an Earth 1 map would even be useful on this planet – who knew what the war had done to the geography - but Willow was able to get the information they needed. If they walked southwest for approximately two days, they would find Bobby. Willow would have to occasionally recast the spell to make sure they were going in the right direction, or to adjust their course as they got closer, but it was the best they were going to get. Dean was just glad it wasn't further away than 2 days on foot. If they'd been on the wrong side of the country, it might have taken them weeks without a vehicle.

"That spell wasn't very specific, now was it?" Rowena scoffed under her breath.

Willow glared at her. "OK, you do better with no map, or knowledge of the lay of the land here," she challenged.

Rowena just smiled as if she knew a secret, "Oh no, dear. I believe that children should learn to crawl before they can walk."

"I think Crowley would've disagreed with that statement coming from you," Dean said pointedly. Rowena narrowed her eyes as Dean continued, "If you can do better, than do better. If you can't, then shut up."

Rowena continued to smile, but didn't say anything more. Dean highly suspected that she was just patronizing Willow because she didn't like her. In Dean's book, that was a point in Willow's favor.

"Gabriel," Sam said, turning to the Archangel. "Can you teleport us there? Or is there any chance you could just find Bobby?"

"'Fraid not on both counts, Sammy," Gabriel said. "I've already tried to sense him, but he's blocked – wherever he is, it's probably warded up the hoo-ha, like your bunker. And if I tried to woosh us all there, it might attract Michael's attention. He might have been," Gabriel whistled two notes and spun his finger around his ear and continued, "on our Earth. But he's perfectly sane here. And powerful. This is a Michael who managed to kill his Lucifer and half the planet along with him; I would like to avoid big bro if we can. I think walking is the way to go here, kiddos."

"What about Jack or Mom," Dean interjected. "Can you find them? Maybe we could just go straight there."

"I've already tried that too," Gabriel said, shaking his head. "They're off the radar. There's a good chance Michael's got them locked up somewhere tight. Probably together, since he undoubtedly knows they're from the same world. We'll have to walk to find this Bobby, I'm afraid." Dean sighed, it had been a long shot anyway.

There was a general murmur of agreement and they started walking.

There was little talking as they walked, most of them lost in their own thoughts. They took the occasional break for food, water, or to relieve themselves, but otherwise their trek continued unchangingly. They passed out of the woods after a few hours, and happened upon what appeared to be an abandoned town.

Dean knew that there were relatively few humans left on this Earth due to the war, and this was a stark reminder. They passed house after house with unmowed lawns, broken doors and windows, collapsing roofs. Occasionally, they could see the direct effects of the war in a large crater in the street, or a rotting and decaying corpse, abandoned and forgotten in someone's yard.

The place was creepy and it reminded Dean of the ghost town that Azazel had trapped Sam and the other psychic kids in all those years ago. There was something else off about the place and it took about 20 minutes before Dean realized what it was.

"There's no life here," he muttered.

"Well, yeah," Sam said. "They probably evacuated to a safe haven after the war started destroying the world."

"That's not what I mean," he paused, choosing his words. The others were listening, but didn't say anything. But then Buffy spoke before Dean could explain.

"There's no animal life," she said. Sam looked at her. Gabriel and Cas both nodded, but Sam, Willow and Rowena all looked troubled as they looked around more, studying the town. "There's no birds," Buffy went on, "no squirrels. There's no ants crawling along the sidewalk. It's just empty. Dead. The plants are barely alive, probably because of the lack of insect and animal life to help them."

Dean nodded. Buffy had seen the same thing he had. The few plants that were still alive were clearly dying. There was no green in the grass or trees. There were no flowers. The only things that seemed to still have any life to them were the weeds, and even those were browning.

"Well," Willow said, slightly breathy as though trying to find the bright side, "maybe someone's raising bees somewhere. And when the war is over they'll be freed, to help restore the plants." She smiled hopefully at them all. Dean looked at her pityingly, and a bit jealously. He wished he had that kind of optimism.

They passed a house that had a dog's leash still tied to the porch, which was rotting. Dean wondered what happened to the dog that had lived here. Most likely it was dead, along with its owners. Nope, no optimism for Dean.

When he'd thought about this world, he'd considered the catastrophic toll that the war had taken on the human population. And while he knew the land was barren, he didn't think about what that meant for the plant and animal life on this Earth. Without those things, even if the humans survived the war and destroyed the hordes of angels and demons, could this world even continue on? Was the whole world this desolate? These depressing thoughts only encouraged Dean to push forward and get his mother and Jack out of this place. To bring them home. It was often violent and painful, but at least the planet was still alive.

They resumed their silent reveries as they slowly passed out of the town, passing an abandoned Walmart. At first, Dean considered going inside to see if there was anything that might help them on their mission, but then he realized that the place was probably looted and stripped clean of anything useful after the war first started.

They happened upon a highway in the late afternoon that went in the same direction they were headed. So they started to walk along it, rather than trying to find their own path through the woods and fields. They passed the occasional abandoned car (and skeleton), but otherwise didn't see much. Every car that they'd checked had no gas, probably stolen over the years. The license plates told them that they were in Ohio.

They'd been walking for over 10 hours when the sun started to go down. They agreed to continue walking until they found shelter, but then they should stop and rest for the night. It was briefly discussed if it might not be a better idea to continue through the night and then sleep during the day, but in this place, night versus day travel might not make much difference in terms of safety.

On the other side of the highway that they'd been walking on, they could see what looked like the beginnings of another town. They turned and headed toward the first halfway decent looking house they saw. They hadn't seen a single person, demon, or angel the entire day, and Dean was wondering how that had been possible. Surely some people or creatures must be watching or nearby. He was starting to get that itch again, that something might not be right with this place. Was it possible that they were being watched? He looked over his shoulder and into the trees by the highway they'd just left. He couldn't see anything, but again, it was possible that the lack of life on this Earth was just making him uneasy. This place was just wrong and they all knew it.

The house that they'd chosen appeared to still be in relatively good condition. The doors were closed and locked, and the windows weren't broken for the most part. The driveway still had an old Chevy pickup truck sitting in it. Out of curiosity, Dean broke into the car, which had also been locked, amazingly, and tried to hot wire the car. It would certainly make their trip a lot faster if they had some wheels.

He missed his Impala.

As he'd expected, he was able to get a spark, but the car wouldn't start due to lack of gas. He sighed and climbed back out, shaking his head at the others. Whoever had lived here had been careful about leaving the house. Maybe they thought they would come back at some point. The place was boarded up from the inside, several padlocks on the door, which might explain why it looked like it'd been untouched when Rowena opened the door magically.

Inside, they found what looked like a normal suburban house; most of the furniture was still in good condition, as though waiting for the owner to return. The living room appeared untouched and there were three bedrooms, still containing beds and mattresses, though the sheets that were still on them looked like they'd been eaten by moths at some point. While the others explored the house, Willow and Rowena went into the kitchen. But as expected, the shelves that might have nonperishables were bare. With some magical assistance though, they were able to get some cold running water to refill their bottles. And much to the relief of everyone who wasn't an angel, they were able to get the toilet working as well.

After determining that they were alone, and finding some extra flashlights and, surprisingly, working batteries, they sat in the living room for a few minutes, just eating the occasional protein bar and drinking some water when Sam got up and announced he was going to try to get some sleep. It was agreed that Buffy and Willow would share one room, while Sam and Rowena each got their own. Dean would take the couch in the living room. Cas and Gabriel, neither of whom really needed to sleep, would act as watch. Though, it was soon clear to Dean that Gabriel had no intention of playing guard and wanted to explore some of the nearby neighborhood. Cas would, of course, do what would keep everyone else the safest. And that was staying in the house with the humans while they slept.

The two witches appeared to have come to an unspoken agreement to work together to help the others, though their animosity towards each other was clear. When Sam got up to go to bed, Willow and Rowena both followed suit pretty quickly. Dean, though tired, didn't think he would be able to sleep just yet. The feeling of wrongness about this world was eating at him, and he suspected that when he did try to sleep, it wouldn't be for very long and certainly not restful.

As predicted, Gabriel got up and left the house without saying much, leaving Cas, Buffy, and Dean alone in the living room. Dean would have liked to hang out with Buffy privately again – he'd really enjoyed their hunting trip together, before Michael and Lucifer had shown up, of course - and he was making _the face_ at Cas to indicate this, but Cas, oblivious as ever, just sat there. Worst wingman ever.

Maybe a more direct approach would work. "Hey Cas," he said. "Why don't you check out some of the other local houses for supplies? I doubt that's what Gabriel is doing."

"But as watch, isn't it my job to guard you while you sleep?"

"Not asleep yet, am I?" Dean asked. Buffy was looking at him, a knowing and slightly amused expression on her face. "Go ahead," he continued to Cas. "I'll keep watch until you get back. Not really tired yet anyway."

"Of course, Dean. If you'll be awake, then my time would be better off searching the area. Good idea," Cas said in his gravelly voice. He nodded to Dean and Buffy and left the room.

"Subtle," Buffy mocked, when Cas was out of earshot.

"I don't have any clue what you're talking about," Dean responded innocently. The grin that formed on his face at his words though, betrayed him. Buffy laughed and shook her head. She pointedly stood up and moved to another chair on the other side of the room. She was still smirking though.

Dean pulled out his flask from an inside pocket and took a swig, the whiskey warming his throat on the way down. He sealed the flask and abruptly tossed it to Buffy who caught it by instinct.

"Seriously?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, her face deadpan. He motioned for her to take a drink and she rolled her eyes. She unscrewed the cap and took a sip anyway. "Blleeeccchh" she said, sticking her tongue out and shaking her head at the taste.

Dean laughed as she threw the flask back to him. He caught it, took another draught and put it back in his pocket. "So… it sounded like you and Willow have some experience with doppelgangers?" he asked.

Buffy laughed and launched into a story about a vampire version of Willow that had appeared while they were still in high school. This had Dean laughing, "You made her wear a tight leather outfit? I would have loved to see that."

"I'm sure you would have," Buffy agreed, still chuckling. "But I bet you would have liked my doppelganger more. She was a robot originally programed for sex."

"No shit? You serious?"

"Completely," Buffy said. Dean laughed even harder at this, trying to imagine how Buffy had reacted to finding out about that. The idea of a sex robot with Buffy's face was a vision that he would cherish. "Sorry," Buffy said, eyeing Dean with a grin, "was that too distracting for you?"

Dean shook his head to clear it. She'd brought it up on purpose to screw with him. Oh yes, this one was trouble. "Well, that's better than our doppelgangers. They were evil leviathans out to get us arrested or killed. They went on a cross-country killing spree."

"That sucks," Buffy said, sounding genuinely disgusted, the smile vanishing from her lips. Crap, he took it too far. If he was going to have any chance with this girl, he needed to keep her laughing. And maybe drinking. He pulled out his flask again.

"Did you know," Dean began, his eyes twinkling with disguised mirth. Sammy would kill him for this. Totally worth it. "that Sammy is afraid of clowns?"

"In his defense, clowns can be super creepy. Clowns, mimes, dummies. All creepy as hell," Buffy said, shrugging.

"Please tell me you have a mime story."

"Nah, but I do have a dummy story," she said.

"Oh, I gotta hear that," Dean smiled.

"No, it's your turn. I suspect you brought up Sam's Coulrophobia for a reason?" Buffy asked.

"You know the word for fear of clowns?"

"Don't judge me… story time. Go!" she ordered. Dean laughed and went into the story of Plucky Pennywhistle's clowns covering Sam in glitter. She was laughing again, which made Dean chuckle too.

After a few more stories from each of them, Buffy had moved back over to the couch, and would take the occasional sip from his flask, always making a face at the taste. Dean thought he might actually have a chance with this girl when Cas showed back up.

"I've found some canned goods in a house a few doors down," he told them, interrupting their laughter. "I also found some matches and rope. I don't know if those will come in handy, but better safe than sorry, I think." As usual, he was completely unconscious to the fact that he'd just walked in on something. Not that anything had actually happened, but Dean had been hopeful that something might.

Buffy eyed Cas, and then turned to look back at Dean. The smile melted off her face and she stood up. "I should probably go to bed," she said. Without another word, she got up and left.

"Thanks a lot, Cas," Dean said grouchily.

"You're quite welcome, Dean," Cas said, completely missing Dean's sarcasm. Dean shook his head as his friend and decided that maybe Buffy was right. He probably should try to get some sleep. They might be able to make it to Bobby's tomorrow if they leave early enough, and sleep would be vital to moving quickly.

He kicked his legs up onto the couch where Buffy had been sitting and laid back, using the arm rest as a pillow. His feet were propped up on the other side; he was too tall to lie flat. Cas took his seat in a recliner again, eyes and ears on alert.

As Dean began to drift, he started to wonder if his desire to sleep with Buffy was really all it was, or if he might be thinking about more. He thought he could be really into this girl, if he allowed himself. It had been so long since Dean had felt anything more for a woman than just lust. And only a few times had that actually happened. Lisa. Cassie. Had there ever been any others? Not that he could remember. But there was no point to thinking like that, once they resolved this Lucifer thing with Jack's help, she would be going back to Cleveland and he might not see her again after that. She'd been retired, after all, before he and Sam dragged her back into this life.

 _But if that's what she wants, why does she keep following us?_

As expected, his dreams were troublesome and he slept poorly.

XXXX

The next day progressed in much the same pattern as the previous one. Before they'd left the house in the morning, Willow had recast her locator spell on Bobby's hat. They were making good time and they were less than a day's walk away from wherever he was. They refilled their water bottles and had breakfast from a few cans of the soup that Cas had found the night before. Rowena had quickly made a fire so they could even eat it warm.

It was another dreary day, rain falling lightly but regularly from the grey sky. Eventually, Rowena began to complain about the weather and she cast a spell over herself so the rain would be diverted away from her body. Dean scowled at this; _she could at least cast the spell over all of us, couldn't she?_ She looked ridiculous walking in this world. She was still dressed like she was going to a fancy party, though she'd intelligently ditched the high heels for flats.

Dean had been about to ask if she could extend her spell, when Willow made his question unnecessary. She cast the same spell herself, only she cast it over everyone. They all nodded to her in thanks and she nodded back. Rowena rolled her eyes.

It appeared that Rowena was getting bored, because she stared trying to instigate fights, seemingly for her own amusement. She started on Willow, asking her what it was like to try to end the world. Dean blinked in surprise at this and looked from Willow to Buffy – both of whom were now scowling. Neither answered her. Had Willow really done something like that? Dean naturally didn't trust witches, but Willow seemed so different. And Buffy had been her friend since high school. If Willow had gone that dark, would Buffy still be her friend? Something must have happened there. Another story that Buffy hadn't yet shared.

When it was clear that neither of the other women were going to rise to Rowena's bait, she moved on to Gabriel. She asked him what it was like to abandon the world to its fate by faking his own death, because he was too cowardly to face his brothers. Apparently, she'd given up on her brown-nosing of him. He cheerily answered, saying that it felt fine. Since he was only one of two Archangels still alive, and that their Earth was perfectly fine, thank you very much, he'd clearly made the right choice.

Rowena moved on to Sam, "How about you, Samuel? Was it fun running around without a soul? How many innocent lives did you take that year?"

"How do you even know about that?" Sam asked, stopping and looking at Rowena. She appeared pleased that she'd finally gotten a rise out of someone.

"I make a point to know the history of my colleagues."

"We're _not_ your colleagues," Dean said pointedly.

"You lost your soul?" Buffy asked, staring at Sam. Rowena looked positively thrilled that she'd finally struck a chord.

"Briefly," Sam answered reluctantly. "It was restored."

"How?" Willow asked curiously.

"Long story," Dean said, but Sam answered her.

"Death rescued it from hell and put it back in my body."

"Apparently, not that long," Dean muttered.

"Sorry, did you say 'Death'?" Willow asked, shocked.

"So, this was after you were rescued from the Cage that you, Lucifer, and Michael were trapped in?" Buffy asked. They continued walking and Dean and Sam explained how Sam had been brought back after trapping Lucifer back in the Cage. She knew most of the story already, but they hadn't mentioned the part about Sam's lack of soul afterward. Willow and Buffy were both amazed, particularly at the part about Death's help in the affair.

Rowena seemed disappointed that her questions into this particular topic didn't cause a fight. It was clear that she'd been hoping that Buffy and Willow would react more extremely to the news.

When the conversation died, Rowena changed tact again. "So, Dean," she started. Dean closed his eyes briefly, preparing himself for whatever was coming. What topic would she choose? Demon Dean? The Mark of Cain? His demon deal to save Sam? Gadreel's invasion of his brother's body? Amara? The possibilities were endless. She smiled at him and went on, "Did you manage to lay with the Slayer last night?"

"What?!" he and Buffy said at the same time. Buffy and Dean had both stopped in their tracks to stare at the witch. Dean felt shocked. Of all the topics she could have chosen, she'd decided on this one? What the hell was that about?

"Is that a yes?" Rowena asked curiously, tilting her head like a puppy. Sam and Willow had both stopped too, and were watching Buffy and Dean's reactions. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw them make eye contact with each other, and look away trying not to laugh. Gabriel was laughing outright. Cas just looked confused.

"No!" Buffy exclaimed.

Apparently, Cas felt the need to defend them, "I saw them last night. They were not intimate in any way before Buffy went to bed." Buffy's cheeks were bright red now.

"OK," Buffy said. She started walking again. Brusquely. "We're not talking about this anymore. Rowena, you bring up another seemingly awkward topic and I swear to any gods who may be listening, I will end you." They all followed in her wake, saying nothing. Rowena looked happier than Dean had seen her in a while. Certainly, at least since they'd arrived here.

So, that just happened…

Buffy's outburst seemed to have placated Rowena for the time being. Dean wondered if Buffy had reacted that way because the idea disgusted her, or because it was something she'd considered, and was now embarrassed that everyone seemed to know about. Or maybe it was just because Buffy was a private person, and she felt that it was no one else's business whether there was something there or not. Dean sighed and continued walking with the others. Buffy was pointedly keeping a good distance away from him. At this point, Dean was willing to bet that Buffy's stubbornness would keep her away from him permanently after that.

Rowena might have just cockblocked him from Buffy for all time. Awesome. Just one more reason to hate her.

The morning wore into the afternoon as they continued walking. No one said much after Buffy's eruption at Rowena, but that suited Dean fine. He wasn't one for small talk anyway. And he thought they must be getting close. A few more hours at most. Once again, Dean was confused at the lack of people or demons or angels that they'd met. They'd come across two demons around noon, which they'd quickly and easily dispatched, but otherwise met nothing. With the amount of fire power in their group, the demons hadn't lasted more than 2 minutes before they were destroyed.

As night fell, Willow recast her locator spell. They were less than 2 hours away and they agreed to just keep going instead of stopping for the night. They ate as they walked and when they were less than half an hour away, they started looking around themselves, expecting to find people at any moment. Both Gabriel and Cas said that they could sense warding nearby. They were close.

They were walking through some trees, what might have been a park at some point, when up ahead they could just make out a building. Suddenly, Buffy spun, blocking a kick that had come out from behind a tree at her head.

They all stopped, as whoever owned the leg Buffy had grabbed started laughing. It was clearly a woman. A short brunette appeared from behind the tree, looking happily at Buffy. Dean thought she looked vaguely familiar. Maybe he'd met her doppelganger at some point.

She addressed Buffy. She had a slightly scratchy and deep voice, for a woman, and Dean thought he detected a slight Boston accent, "Glad to see your reflexes haven't suffered without me. Impressive in any universe. Good to see you, B."

Her hair was wavy and hung just beyond her shoulders. She was wearing a mixture of clothing, clearly a refugee from this world, but it was all clothing that was easy to fight in. She wore large combat boots and an amused expression. Willow and Buffy stared at the newcomer, their jaws hanging open. It was clear that the three of them knew each other.

"Good to see you too, Red," she added to Willow. "Is the whole Scooby Gang here?"

"Faith?!" Willow finally found her voice.

"So, you idjits know each other. That's good. Simplifies things," came another extremely familiar voice.

"Bobby!" Sam and Dean both said as they turned to the old hunter.

"Winchesters," he said as a greeting. "Good to see you again. C'mon. We're too exposed here. Those winged dicks like to watch us whenever they can."

He started to lead them all toward the building that Dean had spotted in the distance. They started to follow him, but then Cas spoke up,

"Umm… excuse me," he said. They all turned to see that both Gabriel and Cas had stopped. The warding was keeping them from going any further.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Bobby said. He walked over to a tree, said a few words in Latin, and a symbol appeared and then disappeared. Cas and Gabriel both stepped forward and Bobby reversed the spell putting the warding back up.

He turned and continued walking with everyone else following behind. Buffy and Willow were still gawking at Faith. _Faith… Faith… why do I know that name?_ Dean wondered.

The girl in the bar! When Dean remembered seeing Buffy in the bar all those years ago, Buffy explained that the brunette she was with, was a woman named Faith and that she was… "not here" anymore. Dean had assumed that meant that she was dead. But instead, somehow, she'd found her way to this Earth. How the hell did that happen? She must be another slayer. Dean looked at her closely. She was older than he remembered, but still extremely hot. And it was clear from the way she carried herself that she knew it.

The building turned out to be an old church. How ironic. Bobby led them all inside and then down a flight of steps to the basement level. They walked through a long, wide hallway with grey tiles on the floor and beige walls, and they passed several doors. Peering through them as they went by, Dean could see a kitchen, a few rooms that looked like offices or classrooms, and what appeared to be a daycare, complete with little kids playing. He finally turned through a pair of swinging doors that led into a large recreation room. It looked like it was once a gathering hall, with a stage at one end and several tables lining the walls. There was an old basketball hoop, missing it's net, on the opposite end from the stage. Vaguely, Dean wondered when was the last time anyone had ever actually played basketball here.

Now, however, the rec room was packed with people, melting down angel blades for bullets, packing rock salt into shotgun rounds, sharpening blades, and bottling holy water. There was an Asian girl with pig tails, who couldn't have been older than 8, sparing with her mother with a fake, wooden angel blade. Dean pitied the people in this world. That girl would be raised like him and Sam had been; to become soldiers. There would be no childhood for her. He wished there was something more he could do for this world, but he had to focus on his own for now. And that meant finding Jack.

As they had walked, Willow and Buffy had both attempted to question Faith around how (the hell) she'd gotten here. She simply shushed them and said she would explain when they got inside and could talk a little more privately.

They passed through the rec room and into a small office that forcibly reminded Dean of Bobby's office back at his house. There was a desk, covered in old books and tomes, weapons and articles randomly sitting around the room and tacked to the walls, and there was a subtle scent of whiskey permeating the air in the room. This was where this Bobby worked.

Bobby closed the door behind them as they all crowded into the room. Faith settled herself comfortably on the couch against the wall and Bobby walked over to a cabinet.

"Anyone for a drink?" he asked.

Rowena, Gabriel, Faith, and Dean took him up on his offer. He pulled out 5 glasses and poured a small amount of amber liquid into each, handing them out.

"L'chaim," he said, raising his own glass and taking a swig. Dean wondered if Bobby had picked that up from Rufus.

"So, anyone feel like introducing us?" Faith asked cheerfully. Willow and Buffy were still gazing at her like they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Sam Winchester," Sam said, holding out his hand. She eyed him up and down, smiling, and took his hand. She nodded, as though in approval of what she saw. Sam continued, "This is my brother, Dean. And this is Cas, Gabriel, and Rowena. I take it you already know Buffy and Willow?"

"For what… like 20 years, B?" Faith asked nodding to the women. "And you two are angels," she said looking at Cas and Gabriel. It wasn't a question.

"Well, I'm an Archangel," Gabriel said pointedly.

"How could you tell?" Buffy asked Faith, sounding genuinely curious.

"The inability to pass the warding was a good hint, but my Slayer sense told me for sure," Faith explained.

"You can sense them?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I can't feel anything from them."

"It's something I've had to work on in the years that I've been here. I couldn't tell them apart from humans at first either… But eventually, the longer you are around them, the more you'll start to notice a slight… stirring… about them. It's hard to explain," Faith said. She was still eyeing Sam, almost hungrily. Suddenly, Dean wondered if this woman was entirely safe. Something about her warned Dean of danger.

"And now you're going to explain exactly how the hell you ended up here," Buffy said, getting slightly worked up and putting her hands on her hips.

"Long story. Let's just say that it involves some angry demons, sex magic, a portal, and an opening hellmouth," Faith said, sounding almost bored. _Did she just say sex magic?_ Everyone else in the room, except for Buffy and Bobby, who probably knew the story already, was looking at Faith in curiosity and amazement. But Buffy looked angry now.

"'An opening hellmouth!'" she repeated, throwing her hands wide. She was standing over Faith now, who was still sitting comfortably on the couch; she'd downed her drink in one throw. She looked unconcerned at Buffy's reaction, as though she'd expected nothing less. Buffy went on, her voice becoming louder with every word she spoke, "Faith! You've been gone for almost five years now! We thought you were dead! If you were going to stop an apocalypse, why didn't you call for backup? The last time anyone heard from you, you sent me a text saying you were going for some smokes. You're like the deadbeat dad who never came home."

Faith raised an eyebrow at Buffy, the corners of her lips quirked up in a very small smile. "I'd almost forgotten how much fun your self-righteous speeches could be, B. If you gotta know, I caught wind of something in Sao Paulo and I'd never been to Brazil. And it'd been soooo long since I'd done anything without a bunch of slayer groupies following me around. Besides, you were a little busy at the time dealing with the Undead Duo."

"Really?" Buffy shot back, her voice only slightly lower in volume than before. Dean, Sam, Rowena, and Gabriel were watching the exchange curiously, hanging on to every word. Willow was listening closely, but she looked more disapproving than anything else, and there was a hint of relief in her face too. Bobby was sitting at his desk, not listening, reading from one of his books, and nursing his drink. Cas had taken a seat on the other side of the room and looked uncomfortable. Buffy continued, "You couldn't bother to send an effing text because Spike and Angel showed up?"

"It was a last minute trip," Faith shrugged. "Didn't exactly expect to end up on the set of a James Cameron movie." Dean chuckled at the accurate description, but he was the only one. Faith grinned mischievously then, a thought occurring to her. She eyed Buffy. "How did it go with Billy Idol and Danny Carey anyway. Are you still cookie dough?"

Buffy took a step back as though Faith had tried to hit her. Behind him, Dean thought he heard Willow giggle slightly, but he wasn't sure. He was extremely curious about this Spike and Angel that Faith had mentioned. They must be the monsters that Sam mentioned Buffy had dated, going by the "undead duo" comment and Buffy's inflection when she said their names. He didn't follow the cookie dough remark at all though.

Buffy stared at Faith, and then said quietly, "How. The hell. Did you know about…"

Faith answered before Buffy could finish her question. "Let's just say that for a 250 year old vamp, Angel really can't hold his liquor." Faith smiled again, and this time Dean was sure that he heard Willow laughing quietly. So Angel was a vampire. Interesting choice for a vampire slayer.

Buffy growled, "oh, he's a dead man… again."

"Soooo, how were they?" Faith asked, leaning forward, and looking expectant.

"Still looking like they're 28. How'd you think they were?"

"Not what I meant… But if that was the issue, I totally get it, B. Maybe your cookies were left in the oven a little too long?" Faith suggested. Gabriel audibly groaned at the comment and turned away from Buffy as though embarrassed for her. Dean thought maybe he was starting to understand… and if he did, that was a low blow.

"I hate you," Buffy said, narrowing her eyes and moving to lean on Bobby's desk, her arms folded.

"So, nothing's changed then," Faith laughed. "Maybe you just need to find the right baker? Someone a little closer to your own age… and living." Her eyes then moved from Buffy to Sam and Dean. She winked at them, and added, "and chiseled."

Dean felt that he was being put on a slab for weighing like a piece of meat. And maybe he was. Sam's cheeks went red and he looked away from Faith too, going to sit next to Cas on a stack of books.

"Wait a minute," Buffy said quickly, unfolding her arms and standing back up, staring at Faith, her cheeks redder than Sam's. "How did this become about my love life? I was supposed to be lecturing you."

"And again… nothing's changed," Faith commented, chuckling. Then suddenly, Faith stood up and pulled Buffy into a tight hug. Dean blinked in surprise, as it seemed to come out of nowhere, but it was clearly genuine. Still hugging the blonde slayer, Faith said, "I've missed you, Buffy. Seriously."

Dean walked over to where Sam and Cas were. Faith had then pulled Willow into a hug as well, which surprised the witch as much as it had the slayer. Sam leaned close to Dean and said quietly enough for only Dean to hear, "Did you follow any of that?"

"Only _The Terminator_ reference," Dean said, just as quietly.

When Faith finally released the two women, Bobby stood up and Dean introduced him to Buffy, Willow, Rowena, and Gabriel. Bobby then explained that he and Faith had been leading this particular group of human rebels for several years. Bobby had found Faith a few years after the war had started, and she was clearly from another place, but she had great strength, training, and was a natural born leader that Bobby could use.

She'd spent a few years trying to find a way back home, but with the war on, and their limited resources, she'd never been able to come up with anything. So, she'd decided to stay here and do what she could for the people.

"But," Bobby finally said, after explaining some of their story, "Now that these folks are here, I assume you'll want to go home with them?" he asked, turning to Faith. She looked Bobby in the eyes. It was clear that these two had a kinship, in the same way their Bobby had with Sam and Dean. She looked sorrowful, but resigned. Bobby's face was impassive.

"It's my home, Bobby," she said softly. And then, even quieter, as though she hadn't meant for anyone to hear, she added, "I want to go home." There was an earnestness, a fragility, to her voice that Dean hadn't heard before this, and was surprised to hear.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room after that, where no one made eye contact, except for Bobby who was watching Faith sadly. The paternal love in his eyes was clear, and it made Dean miss their own Bobby endlessly.

"So," Bobby said, clearing his throat, and looking around at the others. "You never mentioned what you idjits were doing back here."

They explained about Jack and Mary.

"Well, I only know of one place where they might be," Bobby said, when they'd finished. "Michael would have them locked up in one of his war camps, but for someone that powerful, he would only keep Jack in one of them. It's a few week's walk from here."

"Crap," Dean said.

"Now, now," Bobby said grinning, waving his hand to calm Dean. "Don't worry about that. I can get us there in just a couple days. Some of us still have wheels."

* * *

 **A/N:** I really loved writing Buffy and Faith's reunion. I wanted it to seem genuine. Faith is just such a good character, she's so much fun to write. I hope people enjoy her return. Reviews?


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
Earth 2  
SW Ohio

Bobby's "wheels" turned out to be an old military truck, capable of holding up to 20 people in the back, if they were packed in tight enough. It was getting late, and the team with Buffy were exhausted from the last few days. They agreed they would rest for the night and leave in the morning at first light. Buffy was thrilled to discover that this place had working showers in one restroom, and took a short, if slightly cold, respite before tucking into a spare cot that they had in one of the old classrooms.

Apparently, there were almost 100 people living in this building, with room for over 100 more. They had converted most of the classrooms into housing space, able to hold up to 20 people each, and the sanctuary had become a training room (the pews had been removed, or possibly burned for firewood. Buffy didn't ask).

Buffy slept as well as she could, but the amount of people sleeping in the same room with her kept her awake most of the time. She should have brought the next Harry Potter book… At least she could have gotten some reading done. The amount of snoring in this room was unreal and Buffy was sure that Sam talked in his sleep at one point (he had opted to sleep on some pillows on the floor, as he was too tall for the cots they had). She was also uncomfortable with Cas just standing in a corner watching them. She wished he'd go into another room or at least turn away or something. Gabriel had simply left again.

The next morning, Buffy truly missed coffee. She blinked wearily, not saying anything as they all piled into the back of the truck, with Bobby driving. They agreed to take it in shifts so as to not have to stop too often. Faith would drive after Bobby, allowing him some time to sleep, but then Bobby would take it back. It didn't appear that Bobby trusted anyone else enough to drive.

They packed several extra tanks of gas in with them, as well as many rounds of angel-killing weapons and ammo. Dean was thrilled to find that Bobby had some rounds that would work for his favorite gun. When Faith climbed into the back of the truck with them, Buffy was shocked to recognize a certain axe-looking weapon strapped to her back.

"You still have it!" Buffy exclaimed staring.

Faith smiled and reach back to pull out the Scythe. Buffy had assumed it had been lost with Faith all those years ago. The tracking that Andrew had put on it had gone dark at the same time Faith had, and everyone assumed they'd both been destroyed. Apparently, they'd come here. "Of course I still have it," Faith said. "This is one of the most powerful weapons we have. It can kill both angels and demons."

"That thing can kill both angels and demons?" Dean repeated, amazed. "What the hell is it?"

"An ancient weapon of the Slayer," Willow said, also staring at the Scythe in Faith's hands. "It's what I used to awaken all the potentials 15 years ago."

Faith's face suddenly fell and she looked at Buffy, "I suppose I should give this back now." She held out the weapon to the blonde slayer sitting across from her. Buffy eyed her thoughtfully.

5 years alone in this world. She didn't know anyone, had no idea where she was or how to get home. She'd had to make do with what she had. Which was her wits and her slayer strength. And the Scythe. Buffy smiled at Faith, "Keep it. I'm not the Slayer General anymore. And I'm sure you've made good use of it. It's yours."

"Seriously?" Faith asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Then she blinked, eyes narrowing. "Wait, you're not the _Captain, my Captain_ anymore? What happened?"

"Retired. Maggie's in charge now," Buffy said.

"Yeah, you look real retired," Faith responded sarcastically, looking around at everyone. Buffy shook her head and smiled, but didn't reply.

They were on the road (or what was left of it after years of war) before the sun was completely up. They rode in silence for a while, eating protein bars and not saying much. Eventually, Buffy turned to Faith again.

"So… is there a slayer in this world?" she asked.

"You mean, are you here somewhere?" Faith said knowingly. Buffy nodded. "'Fraid not, B. From what I've been able to gather, and from what Bobby knew, it sounds like the First successfully wiped out the Slayer line on this Earth. So, no Slayer army, no nothing to help the humans fight. You and I were the last Slayers here – that much I've been able to figure out, but there was something different about how it went down here, apart from the failure, I mean. Giles wasn't your watcher, for starters – not sure why, and Willow was killed, uh… after she lost her…" Faith looked uncomfortably at Willow. "Sorry, Red," she added.

"At least _I_ didn't destroy the world," Willow shrugged. Faith fell silent, clearly feeling uncomfortable about the situation. So, Giles wasn't her watcher. That's probably the reason Willow had been killed, and could very well be the reason the Slayer line failed. Giles had been the one to get Xander to Willow in time to stop/save her, and then Giles had been the one to bring the potentials to Buffy. Without either of them, Buffy never could have stopped the First. But where was Giles? What was different about this world that resulted in Giles not being her watcher?

"But without the Slayers, what stopped the First from their apocalypse?" Buffy asked.

"Not sure," Faith admitted. "But somehow Sunnydale was still destroyed, you and I along with it. I can only assume someone wielded that Liz Taylor trinket again."

"Spike?" Buffy guessed.

"No idea."

"Any idea where Giles was that he wasn't my watcher?" Buffy asked.

"Hard to get solid info, but I did ask around, because it all seemed to go back to that, doesn't it?" Faith said thoughtfully. "Without G-man, no slayer line. From what I was able to piece together, which wasn't much, Giles died sometime in the late '70's."

"But that doesn't make sense," Buffy said, confused. "I thought this Earth was the same as our Earth right up until the war started. Why would this minor detail from so much earlier be different?" Buffy turned to the Winchesters and angels who were watching and listening to the conversation.

"Well, that's not entirely true," Cas said. "The biggest difference between this world and our world is the fact that the Winchesters were never born here. So they weren't around to stop the war before it started." Sam and Dean both looked extremely uncomfortable at that.

"Right," Faith said. "Bobby told me about your meeting last year. He said that you mentioned a Mary Winchester. But that on this world, she was Mary Campbell – never married."

"Exactly," Cas said. "I think the only conclusion that makes sense is that on this world, Mary never made the deal with Azazel to save John's life. And as a result, Sam and Dean were never born."

Everyone looked thoughtful at this. So, Sam and Dean's mother was the reason that this world was the way it was. Or on the opposite side of that coin, she was the reason that their Earth was still OK. But what did that have to do with Giles? If the only real difference between this world and their own was Mary's decision to save her future husband, why would the Giles from here be dead? Something wasn't adding up. Maybe there were other differences that they didn't know about?

They lapsed into silence again, everyone lost in their own thoughts.

Their drive was relatively unexciting and they all took it in turns to occasionally doze. They only stopped to stretch their legs and use the nearest tree (or bathroom if they were near a building with plumbing for Rowena to use her fresh water spell on). Bobby'd had the foresight to bring toilet paper, but he was rationing it out. Dean briefly told a story about an angel zapping him into an apocalyptic future and someone telling him to hoard toilet paper. The story made Buffy chuckle, but it also made her grateful that the future Dean had seen there didn't come to pass.

After about 12 hours of driving, Bobby stopped the truck to swap places with Faith. He laid down on some blankets in the back and promptly fell asleep, unconcerned about the bumpy road. Apparently, he was somewhat used to this.

The rest of the day was uneventful and the view outside the truck changed little as they progressed. Everyone was quiet except for Rowena's occasional complaint about the bumpy and pothole-filled road. When night had fallen, and Faith wasn't showing any signs of stopping, Rowena forced them to a stop with magic.

"Rowena!" Sam scolded when she got up and climbed out of the truck.

"I'm sorry, Samuel. But I am a lady, and I need my sleep. If we're going to attack an angel strong-hold tomorrow, I think it would be best for all of us if we slept half-way decently and not in the back of a foul-smelling rat-nest of a truck," she said, turning back to the others who were staring at her.

She had a point. Not that Buffy was going to say that out loud. She'd been hesitant about sleeping in the truck as well, especially since she hadn't slept well the previous night.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on?" came Bobby's irritable voice from deeper inside the truck.

The others started to climb out of the truck after Rowena, and Faith met them, looking surprised and annoyed. "The shit just happened?" she exclaimed at the others. "The truck just stopped and I can't get it to start again."

"Did you check the engine?" Bobby asked, before anyone could explain, as he climbed out of the truck too. He looked grouchy from bad sleep. Or maybe that was normal for him? Buffy wasn't sure.

"Don't bother," Dean said, before Faith could respond. "Rowena did it."

"The hell do you think you're doing, witch?" Bobby asked her.

"I'm quite sorry, Robert. But I can't sleep in that flea-bag you call a truck. Some of us are accustomed to more luxurious accommodations. Like a wolf's den," Rowena said sweetly.

"Rowena," Sam said quietly, and angrily. Buffy thought this was the first time she'd seen him show real anger. "Get back in the truck and let them start it back up." His voice was soft, but firm. There was a clear threat behind it and Buffy suddenly wondered if Sam wasn't the more dangerous of the Winchester brothers, despite his normally sweet and quiet demeanor.

Rowena sighed audibly and exaggeratedly. She waved a hand and the truck roared back to life. "Very well. But don't blame me if we get into a wee pickle tomorrow and you all get killed, because I wasn't well rested."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Your Majesty" Bobby grumbled under his breath, loud enough that Buffy thought only she could hear him, as they all climbed back into the truck.

Bobby surrendered his pallet to Rowena for "her comfort" and even threw her a few extra blankets to shut her up. Everyone else had to make do by either sleeping upright against the inside of the truck, or lying down in a small space on the hard metal, with a bag or jacket for a pillow.

Buffy was sitting between Dean and Willow and contented herself by tucking her legs up under her and pulling a blanket up to her chin.

Buffy was surprised to find herself waking up in the middle of the night after having slept strangely well, given the circumstances. She'd awoken when Faith had swapped driving positions with Bobby again. She watched as a tired-looking Faith climbed in and slid down between Gabriel and Sam. Gabriel and Cas were awake, naturally, but quiet, as Faith unconcernedly kicked off her boots and tucked in, snuggling close to Sam. Buffy's eyebrows shot up as Faith rested her head on the large man's shoulder and she quickly fell asleep. Before she slipped off, however, she caught Buffy's eye and winked at her, a grin on her face.

Sam slept through the entire thing and Buffy had to keep herself from laughing. She'd almost forgotten that Faith was like that. Looks like not much could change Faith at her core, even an apocalyptic world like this. _Still a tease after all these years…_ Looking around her, Buffy saw that Cas was watching Faith and Sam with a confused expression on his face. That made Buffy smile too. Poor guy; he really did struggle to understand humans. Gabriel, on the other hand, was smiling openly and appreciatively. Though, he did briefly get a look on his face that said he was sorry she hadn't curled into his side instead.

Shaking her head, happy to have Faith back and mostly unchanged, Buffy went back to sleep.

XXXX

Buffy awoke the next morning to find Dean's head on one shoulder and Willow's on the other. It was early morning and the sun was starting to rise. Across from her, Faith was still sleeping with her head on Sam's shoulder, and his head was now resting on hers. It was actually kinda cute.

She smiled to herself at the sight, but then realized that her foot was asleep from where her other leg had been resting on it and she moved subtly to try to wake it up. Unfortunately, her movements woke up both Dean and Willow who raised their heads, blinking tiredly.

"Mornin', sweetheart," Dean said, smiling at her.

"Morning," she replied, too tired to be concerned about his flirting. They all stretched and yawned as they attempted to wake up a bit. Rowena was already awake, and looked perfectly rested, having been left alone on her pallet. Cas and Gabriel greeted them.

Cas reached into a bag and tossed them each a Tupperware containing some dried fruit and bread. They ate their breakfasts in silence and it wasn't long before Sam woke up.

He opened his eyes and appeared startled at the woman curled up next to him. He looked at Dean, as though asking what he should do, but Dean only chuckled and winked at him. Sam clearly didn't want to wake her up, since she'd had less sleep than everyone else, but he was also clearly uncomfortable with her closeness. He compromised by stealing one of the blankets that Rowena was no longer using and tucking it behind Faith's head, so she was leaning against that instead of his shoulder.

Dean shook his head, giving him a look that clearly said he thought his brother was a lost cause and threw some breakfast to him too.

They rode in silence for several hours, no one wanting to bother Faith, who continued to sleep deeply. Buffy had grabbed the Scythe from the stash of weapons and was refamiliarizing herself with the blade. It was like an old friend had come back to her, the feeling of belonging to her returning. She smiled to herself at the feeling, but was still glad of her decision to allow Faith to keep it. After 5 years in this place, she deserved it.

Eventually, Faith woke up and ate a quick meal. They stopped shortly after that to stretch their legs and at that point Bobby climbed into the back with them.

"We're still a few hours out, but I thought that we should confirm the plan before we get there?" Bobby said.

"Agreed," Cas said and they all sat in a circle in the back of the truck, looking at each other.

They had discussed this briefly already, and knew, for the most part, how they were going to proceed. The war camp they were going to was an old Monastery outside what used to be Phoenix, and it seemed to be Michael's primary base, especially for high profile prisoners of war. The grounds consisted of a grand church, separate dormitories for the nuns and monks, a small chapel, plus a few other various buildings, and, surprisingly, a swimming pool. Apparently, Michael now used the pool as a place to keep prisoners until they could be interrogated.

Gabriel and Cas would go in first. Gabriel had the ability to become invisible, apparently, so he would act as a diversion if he and Cas ran into issues; which was their primary goal. The two angels would look for any troops that Michael may have and take care of as many of them as they could. Gabriel's ability to become invisible would be vital to this part of the plan. The two slayers and the two hunters would break into teams and each take a part of the grounds to explore. The witches were (reluctantly) teamed up. Their individual powers were a huge asset to the plan.

Willow had the ability to communicate telepathically with everyone in the field, while Rowena was able to astral project herself to explore the area faster than the hunters or slayers could do. The two of them would be able to essentially act as generals to guide their troops and protect them should anything unexpected be ahead of them. Rowena could give everyone heads up and guide them in the right directions by communicating through Willow, who could relay messages to everyone else.

Bobby would stay with the truck, essentially acting as the getaway driver. He wasn't thrilled with his role in the plan, but agreed that someone had to stay with the truck (and possibly keep an undistracted eye on Rowena, though no one pointed that out).

"I think it would be best if the field teams each had 1 slayer and 1 hunter," Faith suggested. Everyone looked at her consideringly. Dean looked like he was about to argue, probably wishing to stay with his brother, when Faith continued. "This way, we'll have the strength and speed of a slayer with each team, and 1 hunter who knows who we're looking for," she explained.

There was little argument after that. It was a logical and strategical proposal, and they all knew it.

"I've brought each of you an AR-15 loaded with angel killing bullets," Bobby said, handing out the large rifles. He didn't bother to give one to Faith, who just smiled and grabbed the Scythe. Buffy turned up her nose when he offered her one too.

"Yeah, Bobby," Faith said chuckling, addressing the old hunter. "B won't want one of those either. She likes guns less than I do."

Bobby eyed Buffy curiously, but then shook his head, muttering, "Slayers…" Faith, having foreseen this issue, handed Buffy a regular angel blade, which she took appreciatively. Cas and Gabriel refused the guns too, opting for their own blades.

"So," Faith said, looking at them all. "B, you and chiseled can take the north side." Dean narrowed his eyes at her when he realized that he was "chiseled." Faith considered for a moment, "'Chiseled?' Nah. Don't like it. I'll come up with something, don't worry. Sammy and me will take the south."

"It's Sam," Sam murmured.

"Awe… You're adorable, Sammy," Faith smiled at him. Dean chuckled approvingly.

"Don't even bother trying to get her to call you something other than what she's decided on," Buffy said in an aside to Sam, who glared. "You'll never win." She'd always hated being called "B," but when it came to Faith… There was just no getting around it.

"If it helps, between your height and your hair, I could call you Chewbacca? How's that? Chewie or Sammy. Your call," Faith proposed. Sam scowled and everyone else laughed.

After the weapons were handed out and the plans confirmed, Bobby got back into the front and they started off again. They all sat quietly, occasionally drinking a little water or taking a few bites of some food, but the tension was tangible. They were all preparing to invade the fortress of an Archangel…

For Buffy, it seemed like no time at all before they were driving down a dusty highway. The dessert surrounding them, a few rising hills in the distance. They passed what appeared to be an old Dairy farm, but the barns and fields were brown and dying now, not a cow in sight. When they were less than half a mile away, Bobby stopped the truck again and met the others who were climbing out of the back.

Everyone looked to the angels who started off toward the monastery. Gabriel shimmered momentarily and then faded from sight, making it appear that Cas was jogging north alone. The sun was just starting to set and the wind was blowing dust into their eyes, making it difficult to watch him for long. He quickly disappeared from view.

As agreed, they waited 20 minutes, allowing Cas and Gabriel to start exploring the grounds and eliminating any guards and wards that they could find. Rowena and Willow were sitting on the ground, eyes glossy or closed as they were already channeling their powers. Rowena was following the angels and Willow was in constant communication with them. The hunters and the slayers gripped their weapons and then nodded to each other.

The four of them started forward, jogging slightly.

 _Will, can you hear me?_ Buffy thought inside her head.

 _Yeah, I'm here. Cas and Gabriel just finished dispatching the entrance guards, so it should be clear for you to enter_ , came Willow's voice in her head. Buffy started to relay this information to the others, but Dean cut her off, explaining that they'd all heard her. He looked slightly freaked out to have a witch in his head, but it didn't stop him at all.

In less than 5 minutes, they found themselves standing in front of a heavily fortified gate. The bodies of 6 angels were scattered in front of the entrance, which was lying open, the hinges broken. They quickly passed the bodies and went onto the grounds of the war camp. It was eerily quiet, and dusk was settling around them, growing darker by the minute.

 _Any word from the angels?_ Buffy asked Willow.

 _Rowena says that Cas hasn't found anything other than the primary group at the entrance. He's gone inside one of the buildings looking for more angels,_ Willow said. _No sign of Jack or Mary yet._

Buffy looked at the others, it was clear that they'd heard this too. They all nodded to each other again and split up: Buffy and Dean went right, and Sam and Faith turned left. They would follow the fence around and explore the grounds in a patterned style so as to not miss anything, unless Rowena or the angels found Jack or Mary first.

Willow voice was in Buffy's head again, _Guys, Cas was just ambushed by a swarm of angels. Rowena says that an alarm was raised when he entered the compound and most of the guards went for him._ Buffy and Dean looked at each other in panic. Did Cas need their help? _No, no. He's fine. Cas can hold his own and they still don't know Gabriel is with him. He took care of most of them._

Buffy wondered if Willow was answering someone else's question, but she and Dean just sighed with relief and continued forward. As Willow had said, the place seemed empty. Cas must have drawn away most of the troops, as Rowena had seen. Buffy was only slightly worried about the angel. He didn't seem to have the fighting skills that the brothers had, but he could definitely work an angel blade. And from what she'd heard the boys say, Cas was probably one of the best fighters the angel race had, even without his wings.

Buffy felt tense. Even if Gabriel and Cas had drawn away most of the guards, she felt like they should have found _something_ by now. She wished she had Faith's ability to sense angels, but no matter how hard she'd tried on the way here, she couldn't glean anything from Gabriel or Cas. Maybe Faith was right and it just took some time and exposure to their race.

She didn't like this place. The dessert always reminded her of her spirit quest with the First Slayer. _Death is your gift._ Gods, she'd hated hearing that. She understood what it meant now. Death was her gift to the world. She would die so that the world may live. But was it still her gift? She'd died twice, been brought back twice. And her world still turned. But with her retirement, was death still her gift? Was that even necessary anymore with the Slayer Army?

Buffy shook her head. She was getting distracted. Next to her, Dean held the rifle that Bobby had given him at the ready. They weren't using flashlights, since they didn't want to announce their presence. Buffy was grateful for the moon that was starting to rise, giving them a little light to see by. Buffy had better eyes than most in the dark, perks of being a slayer, but Dean was probably struggling to see. Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe years of being a hunter had trained his eyes to see in the dark too.

They came upon what appeared to be an old chapel on the northeastern edge of the grounds. The walls were made of cement and the windows were broken. The wooden door was splintered, but still on its hinges. Buffy took Sam's usual spot on the left side of the door and Dean took his on the right. As she'd seen the brothers do, she and Dean silently counted to three, and she pulled the door open, Dean going in first. Buffy followed him quickly inside.

The chapel was 2 rooms. The first held a few broken pews and opened into the second room. The wall separating the two was rotted and falling away. They could see right through it to the other room. A large cross was still hanging from a stud on what remained of the wall, however. In the second room, they found a large human-shaped cage hanging from the ceiling. It had spikes protruding inward from the bars in various spots, and Buffy prayed that Mary hadn't been placed in this. Blood on the spikes and a small pool on the floor told her that someone had been kept in here at some point.

The blood was dried now, but not faded; a couple days old most likely.

It took them less than a minute to investigate both rooms and Buffy asked Willow (both in her head and out loud for Dean's benefit) if there was anything new happening. Willow confirmed that Sam and Faith were investigating another building and the pool, but hadn't run into anything. Cas was continuing to fight angels with Gabriel. No news on Jack or Mary.

Dean and Buffy left the chapel and proceeded on. Glancing at Dean, she thought she knew him well enough now that she could tell he was tense, focused. She had to remind herself that Mary was his mother. Moving forward into what appeared to be a small graveyard, Buffy wondered about the woman who'd raised the Winchesters. Clearly, hunting ran on both sides of their family, judging by their Winchester grandfather and father, and their mother's presence here.

The brothers had briefly explained to her that their mother had gotten trapped here when Jack was born. Buffy wondered why the brothers even let a woman her age near something like that. Wouldn't they try to protect her, like she'd done with Giles? She briefly considered asking Dean about it, but then reminded herself that this was not the time.

They passed through the cemetery, Buffy still feeling like they should have met something by now. Or someone should have found Jack and Mary. Wasn't Rowena supposed to be looking for them? How long does it take to fly around the grounds of an old monastery, even a big one like this?

A few hundred yards in front of them, Buffy could make out a larger building. One of the dormitories, probably. The main building, the church, was in the center of the grounds. That was where the three teams were to meet when the rest of the grounds had been covered. They quickly and stealthily went toward the building. Dean's posture was intense and expectant. He didn't like that they hadn't found anything yet either, and it showed in his face and bearing.

They entered the building and began to go through the rooms. The building was two stories tall and probably 100 yards long. They passed empty room after empty room. Each room the clone of the last: a bed, a dresser, a cross on the door. Occasionally, there would be a chair in the corner by the window. Toward the middle of the building on the second floor, they found a bathroom.

It was here that they found the first sign of life that they'd seen since entering the compound. They heard groaning before they reached the door, and they both turned expectantly toward it. It was open and Buffy could sense 2 demons inside. Demons, not angels.

Buffy silently grabbed Dean's arm and mouthed the word to him so he knew what was in there. This was an angel strong-hold. If there were demons in there, chances were they were prisoners. Which meant angel guards. Buffy sent this information to Willow telepathically, and asked her to relay her suspicions to Dean. Dean's eyes widened, as they'd done every time he'd heard Willow's voice in his head, but he nodded to her in understanding and agreement. They proceeded forward as quietly as they could, weapons at the ready.

They both silently took a second to prepare themselves and then Buffy launched herself into the room, Dean right behind her. She only had a second to take in her surroundings, before someone she hadn't sensed had leapt on her.

The bathroom was dark and dingy. Water stains lined the ceiling and walls and a few of the stall doors were broken. The sinks were filthy and covered in mold and grime, and in one of the shower stalls she saw two huddled figures chained to the floor.

The angel tackled her from the side, and she was pleased to realize that she was the lone guard. She growled as she and Buffy both hit the wall, but Buffy maintained her grip on her angel blade. Dean grabbed the angel from behind and threw her into a sink. She grunted and turned quickly, reaching out a hand toward his forehead. Dean quickly raised his rifle and shot her in the chest several times; the pops of the gun echoing in the silence. A sound like far-away thunder met their ears and light streamed and then flickered from the angel's eyes and mouth as she screamed. She fell backward into the sink and then slid to the floor, blood pooling beneath her. Burned out wings marred the floor and walls around her, just as it'd done when Michael had died at Lucifer's hands.

Buffy and Dean turned toward the demons. They looked pathetic, beaten and bloody. They turned to look at them, and Buffy caught the tell-tale sign of a demon in one of them in his black eyes. Dean raised his gun again to kill them, when Buffy stopped him.

"There are too few humans left here. We should exorcise them," she said simply. Dean looked at her for a second before he lowered his gun and nodded.

 _Will, we found some demons. We're going to exorcise them to save the people. Can you send Bobby our way to bring them back to the truck?_

 _Yeah, Rowena's relaying your location to Bobby now. We've already moved the truck to the entrance so he should be able to meet you there in a few minutes,_ came Willow's response.

Buffy and Dean quickly exorcised the demons, the black smoke billowing from their screaming mouths and disappearing out a nearby window. The humans that remained slumped to the floor, one of them unconscious. They quickly ran to them, and unchained and double checked them for injuries. The dark-skinned man in his early 30's was breathing shallowly, eyes closed. His pulse was OK, but he had several injuries – the pain of which was probably what knocked him out – or maybe the shock. The woman, pale with hair so blonde it was almost white, was staring at them uncomprehendingly.

"We've got a friend coming. He's going to take you back to our truck and get you out of here. You're going to be OK," Buffy said reassuringly. The woman nodded, silent tears flowing down her face. Buffy couldn't tell whether the tears were from pain, fear, or relief at being rescued, and she didn't ask. Dean helped the woman stand and she leaned heavily on him, favoring her left leg. Buffy picked up the man who was still out cold and they walked back to the entrance of the dormitory.

There, they found Bobby waiting for them, rifle in hand, studying the area. The man was starting to wake up, and Buffy was able to put him down. Both of his arms appeared to be broken, but his legs were OK. A wound on his forehead was bleeding profusely into his eyes. Bobby pulled out a clean cloth from the bag he carried and taped it to the man's head to stop the bleeding.

Dean passed off the woman to Bobby who snaked his arm around her waist to help her walk.

"Tha-thank you," she said before they left with Bobby. Buffy and Dean both nodded to her. Bobby and the injured couple went back toward the direction of the entrance.

Buffy looked at Dean, who was looking after the group walking away. He then turned to her, and Buffy saw sadness in his eyes, but Buffy wasn't sure why. Then his face hardened, and she saw nothing but determination there. Buffy and Dean finished their exploration of the building, but didn't find anything more.

They left the building and found that they were at the edge of the northern side of the monastery grounds. The only thing left to them was the church. They turned and started for the back entrance.

 _Buffy, Dean,_ came Willow's voice in their heads. They stopped to listen. _Cas and Gabriel have managed to take out most of the forces that Michael had here. Rowena is exploring the deeper levels of the church. She suggests you head there now, since that is the last place for any of you to explore._

"How are Faith and Sam," Buffy asked out loud and in her head to Willow.

 _They're fine. Found less than you did. They're on their way to the church too. They'll meet you at the back entrance._

"Sounds good," Dean said.

They continued forward, but less than 20 seconds later Willow's voice came to them again, sounding more urgent.

 _Guys! She found them! They're in the basement of the church. There is a small army of angels around them._

"Are they OK?" Dean asked before Buffy could.

 _She says that Mary is in a small cage and looks like she has a few injuries, but is mostly OK. She's not sure what's going on with Jack. She says he seems unconscious, but he doesn't have any visible injuries. There's someone else with them too. A young Asian man she doesn't know. He's chained to the same cage that Mary is in._

Buffy and Dean looked at each other and broke into a run toward the church.

"Has there been any sign of Michael?" Dean asked as they ran.

 _No sign of Michael. Not sure if he's here or not._

Buffy sincerely hoped not. She'd already met one version of Michael, a crazy one. She was worried about what a sane one might be like. They could see Sam and Faith now, sprinting in the same direction they were headed in. Faith had the Scythe strapped to her back, and Sam had his rifle over his shoulder. Clearly they hadn't run into anything.

They met at the door, and quickly went inside. They hurriedly found a set of stairs, and as they were about to go down, they heard a gravelly voice calling to them. Cas had just appeared, walking toward them. He looked extremely disheveled, tie hanging loose, and blood seeping through his shirt from a wound. But he was walking and talking, and still holding his angel blade. There was still no sign of Gabriel.

"Cas," Dean said quickly, eyeing his friend. "You OK?"

"I'm fine. Let's get on with it," he said, sounding grumpy. Buffy wondered exactly how many angels he and Gabriel had taken out.

"Gabriel?" Sam asked.

"He's…. around," Cas said vaguely, waving his hand holding the blade idly around him. The others nodded and they started down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves in a large room. The floor was grey concrete and load-bearing support poles were scattered through the room. At the far end of the room, there was a desk, and a cage. There was a person crouching behind the desk, another person in the cage, and a body lying on the floor nearby, chains running to his wrists. And in between these things and Buffy's team were over a dozen angels, armed with blades.

There was stillness in the room for half a second. Beside her, Buffy could sense Dean stiffen at the sight of the woman in the cage. That must be Mary. Buffy couldn't make her out very well, she was blocked by too many angels.

All at once, there was screaming and shouting and bodies colliding. The angels had run at them, and they'd run at the angels. Sam and Dean both fired into the bodies of the angels, felling half of them before they'd even clashed. Buffy found herself fighting hand to hand with a creature who was far stronger than she was – something she was not used to.

It reminded her of fighting Glory. Well... maybe not quite that bad. The man before her had dark black hair and narrowed eyes. He punched her in the face, and it took most of her strength to stay on her feet at the blow. She swung her blade at him, but before it even made contact, he screamed, light streaming from his eyes and mouth. He fell, and Buffy looked around confused. She couldn't see what had killed him, until she noticed other angels mysteriously falling too.

Gabriel.

Within minutes, all the angels were dead on the floor, and their team was for the most part unscathed. Dean and Sam rushed over to the woman in the cage and quickly blasted the lock away, letting her out.

"Sam! Dean!" she cried as she crawled out and hugged her sons, who were both much taller than she was. Buffy blinked in surprise at the woman before her. She was far younger than Buffy would have expected. She couldn't be much older than Dean. Maybe even younger... How the hell was that possible? A spell?

Cas was leaning over Jack studying him.

"Cas," Dean said, when he released his mother. "Is Jack OK?"

"I'm not sure," he said, turning the young man over onto his back and studying him. He placed his hands on Jack's forehead and closed his eyes, doing who-knows-what. This was Jack? This was the son of the devil and the man they'd fought so hard to save? This boy had power to rival Lucifer? Buffy was inclined to disbelieve that, but then, people always said the same of her. It wasn't fair for her to judge this boy the same way she'd been judged.

A groan met their ears and they turned to see the young Asian man that Rowena had seen earlier. He'd been hiding behind the desk during the fight and only now seemed to realize that it was over.

"Kevin!?" Sam asked incredulously.

The man eyed Sam suspiciously. "Do I know you?" He had a deep and slightly nasally voice for a young man, maybe in his early to mid-20s. He was dirty and looked exhausted, but he didn't seem injured.

"Uh… no, I guess not," Sam said awkwardly. Another doppelganger? Introductions were made to Kevin.

"Any luck with Jack?" Dean asked, turning back to Cas.

"No, I still don't know what's wrong with him," Cas said.

"I do…" Mary began but Kevin interrupted her.

"Anyone feel like unchaining me? That'd be great," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Dean walked over to him, reaching for his chains when a voice echoed from behind them. Cas looked up, startled, and everyone else spun around.

"Well… isn't this cute?"


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
Earth 2  
Old Monastery outside Phoenix, AZ

A tall man with dark skin and a smirk was studying each of them. He looked less than concerned as he spared a glance for the bodies of his fallen soldier-angels. A blade slipped into his hand and Dean instantly recognized it as an Archangel blade. He was confident that this Michael's blade was not fake.

"You know, I was hoping to see you all here," he said in a calm voice, looking specifically at Sam and Dean. "I kept Mary around because I knew she would eventually lead you all to me. She's important to you Winchesters. And both Jack here, and your Lucifer, had some _very_ strong feelings about you boys. I knew I'd want to meet you."

He smiled at them and then turned his eyes to Cas. "Castiel, long time. I gotta say, you're quite different from the Castiel from here. Apart from the fact that he's dead. But you don't strike me as a very tough interrogator. Still, it's good to see you." He considered the angel a moment before continuing, "I'm surprised at your choice of companions, however. In this world, you were one of the most loyal, fearsome soldiers I had. What are you doing with these _humans?_ "

He said the word with clear disdain. It was obvious that he despised humans, thought they were weak. Cas didn't respond apart from narrowing his eyes and gripping his angel blade a bit harder. Michael briefly eyed it, looking amused. No one moved, unsure what would happen when they did. Michael was studying the other members of their group now, curiosity on his face.

He stopped in front of the brunette slayer. "Faith. So good to finally meet you. You and Mr. Singer have been causing me quite the headache with your little human rebellion." He snorted in derision and glanced at Buffy. "Slayers. Impressive strength. Not too bright though… It's interesting. The slayers in this world were wiped out years ago. It must be quite the place that you hail from, not just surviving, but thriving and multiplying. It's a testament to your abilities."

 _Monologuing… the sign of a true villain_ , Dean thought vaguely. He still didn't move. Michael turned back to the brothers again. "Did you know that your mother dreamed of you? I'd watch them sometimes. Call it a guilty pleasure. Though, she often saw you as children or even babies. Curious that she wouldn't dream of her sons as they are." He paused again, considering, "you know, now that I'm seeing you, I can't say that I'm very impressed. You're big enough, but what are you other than that? Brutes with no real power. Hairless apes. Literally everyone else with you has some type of power. Slayers. Witches. An angel. Something that makes them superior. Mighty. What makes you two so special? I just don't see it."

He looked at them, waiting for an answer which wasn't going to come. Dean was silently praying that Gabriel was working his way up to stabbing this douche-canoe.

When it was clear to Michael that no answer was forthcoming, he sighed. "Well," he said. "You're here now. At least I can finally use you. Took you long enough, by the way. I've been looking for a way into your world, with some help from a certain prophet." Kevin tried to snarl, but it caused him to choke and cough. Michael eyed him contemptibly. "But I kept running into the same problem. Archangel grace… Since I'm the only one left here, and I wasn't about to weaken myself, I was at a standstill. And Kevin was quite the disappointment; taking an awfully long time to translate the tablet… Really was a problem. But if you're here, it means you found a way to cross over. There isn't much left to this world. I need to try again, and your world will let me do that."

"Never gunna happen," Dean spat, speaking for the first time.

Michael ignored him, looking thoughtful as he continued, "Well, that. And I'd love to be able to kill my brother again. It was so much fun the first time." Dean wondered if this Michael wasn't a little bit mad too.

"Do you really think that we'll let you do the same thing to our world that you did to this one?" Sam asked incredulously.

Michael seemed to consider his question for a minute. "I admit, I've made some mistakes here. But that's what second chances are all about. I can make your earth the paradise it was intended to be," he said.

"'Paradise?'" Cas repeated, sounding disgusted. "You've destroyed this world. We're not about to let you do the same thing to ours."

"Castiel. Be reasonable," Michael said softly. "You won't 'let me' do anything. You can't stop me. Your merry band of humans – even some of the stronger ones – can't do anything to stop me now."

"We stopped you on our Earth," Dean said. Still no one moved. What was Gabriel waiting for?

"Really?" Michael asked, sounding legitimately intrigued. "Is that what was different about your world and ours? Somehow my alter-ego was idiotic enough to let a couple of humans stop him? Again, I find myself asking what's so special about you?"

As if a sudden thought struck him, Michael stepped closer to Sam and Dean, who were standing next to each other with their mother. He narrowed his eyes. None of the Winchesters moved, and both brothers towered over Michael's host, but that didn't faze him. The two men met him stare for stare. He studied Sam and then turned to Dean.

"Ahhh… Now I understand. You're the vessels. Mine and my brother's. That might make you special, sort of, but it doesn't make you strong. You weren't born on this Earth despite heaven's best efforts, thanks to the interference of a demon. Years of planning down the drain meant we had to find weaker hosts. I suppose that could account for the differences between our worlds," Michael mused.

"Your apocalypse never happened on our Earth, you dick," Dean said, "because we didn't play your games. I never said yes to you, and Sam was able to trap Lucifer back in the cage, with you right alongside him." Dean smiled boastfully. "Where you both deserved to be," he added.

Michael took a step back, eyes glowing brightly in rage. "You _dared_ to thwart God's will?" he exclaimed. He raised his Archangel blade and made to stab Dean, but at the last second, the blade was deflected to the side, not even grazing Dean.

Michael looked around wildly, uncertain as to what had happened. He pulled back on the blade, eyes narrowed in suspicion. The blade made a _shiinnnnggg_ sound as he drew it away, clearly pulling against something else metallic, though nothing was visible.

"Come out, come out, whoever you are," he said dangerously.

A second Archangel blade appeared in front of Dean, followed by the arm, and body of Gabriel. Michael stared.

"Hello, brother," Gabriel said. There was a hint of threat in his voice.

"Gabriel?" Michael asked in wonderment. "Can that really be you?"

"Oh, it's me bro. And I think it's time that you left the 'ruling of the world thing' to Dad," Gabriel said.

"Our Father's not here," Michael hissed through narrowed eyes.

"And yet you threaten a human for – and I quote – 'thwarting God's will.' Leave the humans alone. They can rule just fine on their own… Welllllll….." Gabriel looked thoughtful for a second and then amended his statement, "mostly."

"They are flawed and biased. They kill each other mercilessly," Michael pointed out.

"And you've been doing… what, exactly?" Gabriel asked, blinking in mocking confusion at his brother. "Treating them to spa days and cheesecake?"

Michael narrowed his eyes but didn't answer, so Gabriel continued, "You've never bothered to really get to know them, have you, Mike? Yes, they're flawed. Yes, they're bigoted little pricks. Yes, they kill each other at the drop of a hat. But they also sing, and laugh, and love. It's beautiful. And you've as good as taken that away from them. Dad was right. They're better than us. And they deserve better than you."

"Like what? Like you?" Michael asked, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Hell no. I just like to experience it. Now, I don't know what happened to my other self here. And I don't particularly care. But when it comes to humans, _this_ Gabriel, will choose their side. Every. Single. Time," Gabriel said, staring at his brother. Dean couldn't help but smile. They've had their issues with Gabriel in the past, but when it came down to the wire, he was always ready to take the human's side. And that was something.

Suddenly Gabriel was assuming a fighting stance. "Boys, it's been fun. But I think it's time to go," Gabriel said. Dean realized that he was talking to them. "Girls, keep their dumb-asses alive, will ya?" Before Dean could figure out what was happening, Gabriel had swung his blade forward toward Michael, who was only just able to parry the thrust, surprised by the sudden attack. They were locked in this position for only a second when everyone started moving at once.

Faith and Buffy sprang into action like they were expecting it. Faith quickly broke the chain holding Kevin, and she grabbed him and Mary by the wrists pulling them forward. Buffy lifted Jack over her shoulders in a fireman's carry like it was nothing, and sprinted for the stairs. Faith and the two former hostages were right behind her. Cas and Sam started running after them as well. Dean started forward, going around the fighting Archangels, but he hesitated.

"Gabriel, what about you?" he asked.

"Get out of here," Gabriel hissed through his teeth, still holding Michael in place. "I'll keep him busy. I've warded your truck, and everyone with you, so he shouldn't be able to track you as long as I can keep him occupied long enough."

Michael growled at that and finally he was able to break Gabriel's hold and attacked with his own blade, forcing Gabriel back a step to avoid it. Dean hesitated only a second longer, earning another "Leave, ya jackass!" from Gabriel. And with that, Dean took off running after the others who were already out of the basement.

As Dean ran out of the church, he could just make out the others running in front of him. None of them had questioned Gabriel's tactic. Had they known that he was planning to do this? _Had_ he been planning to do this? Questions swarmed in Dean's mind as he ran toward the entrance, where he could see the truck waiting for them. Bobby and Willow were helping Mary and Kevin inside, while Buffy lifted Jack into the back herself, as he was still unconscious.

Rowena and the ex-demons were nowhere in Dean's sight – probably already in the truck.

Dean was the last to arrive, and he shouted at Bobby to drive. But the old hunter was already climbing into the front and putting the truck into gear just as Dean managed to get inside. Everyone was breathing hard and looking at each other in shock.

"Gabriel…" Dean said, almost to himself.

"I know," Sam said, looking at him and shaking his head.

Dean turned to the centuries-old witch, who was eyeing everyone with an unreadable expression on her face. "Rowena. Can you still see them? What's going on?" he asked.

Rowena's eye became milky white as she entered her trance or whatever-the-hell-it-was that she did to astral project.

"They are locked in battle. Neither seems to be able to gain the upper hand over the other." Her eyes returned to normal and she looked back at Dean, "I think it's safe to say that he'll buy us at least enough time to get away."

"What about Gabriel?" Sam asked. "Is he going to make it out of there?"

Rowena tilted her chin to the side slightly, looking uncertain, but thoughtful. "Hard to say. But if what I know about the trickster is true, he'll probably be OK." She didn't look like she believed her own words and glancing around, everyone else looked unsure too. Most of them thought that Gabriel just sacrificed himself for them. Maybe he had. Dean didn't believe it though. Gabriel was a survivor, he'd make it out of there. Definitely… Probably… _Crap._

They fell into silence as Bobby put the truck through its paces, probably going as fast as it could. This meant that they were in for a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride on the broken roads. Dean watched as Cas shuffled over to where Mary, Kevin, and the two humans they'd rescued were sitting and healed them.

When the two realized that Cas was an angel, they shied away from him, even though he'd just healed them. They didn't offer thanks and their eyes shifted to the others in the truck, clearly uncertain and suspicious. Dean wasn't sure if they knew each other before becoming demons or not, but they seemed to have no interest in being near anyone else.

The healing seemed to take a lot out of Cas, but he finally went over to Jack, who continued to be unresponsive, despite Willow's attempts to revive him. She looked at the angel, concern on her face and the two proceeded to attempt to find out what was wrong with him.

Dean and Sam both went over to their mother, awkwardly hugging her while sitting on the floor of the truck.

"Mom," Dean said. "You OK?"

"I'm fine. You know me," she said in her soft voice. She smiled lovingly at her sons. "I didn't want you to come after me, but I knew you would, especially when Jack appeared. It's so good to see you both."

Mary Winchester. Loving mom, badass hunter. Dean marveled at his mother, smiling to himself at her words. She was tough, there was no doubt about that. He knew she'd be OK, and having her with them again, he felt a weight lifting off his shoulders.

"It's good to see you too, Mom," Sam said, smiling back. He looked relieved and Dean understood the feeling. Now if only they could figure out what the hell was wrong with Jack.

"How 'bout you, Kevin? You OK?" Dean asked, turning to their old friend.

He eyed them, looking puzzled. "How do you know me?" he asked. Faith and Buffy were both looking at them, curious for the answer as well.

"Oh," Dean said, almost having forgotten that this Kevin didn't know them. "On our Earth, we were friends," he said.

"So, you're really from another world?" he asked, gazing at the brothers. "I almost didn't believe Michael. The angel tablet he had me translating referred to other worlds, but it just seemed so incredible." He was babbling, sounding like the old Kevin they knew, and Dean couldn't help but smile. But then Kevin's face fell and he looked down at his shoes.

"What's up, kid?" Dean asked.

"He has my mom," Kevin said quietly. "Michael. He has my mom, and if I didn't help him, he said he would hurt her." He looked up at the people in the truck, who were all looking at him with pity on their faces. "Can you help me save her?"

Sam and Dean shared a look. Dean saw the resignation and regret in Sam's face that he knew must be mirrored on his own. They didn't have time to stick around here. Their own Earth was at stake.

"I'm sorry, Kevin. We can't," Dean said, meeting the prophet's eyes. He couldn't read Kevin's expression, it was too dark inside the truck and his face was in shadows, but he thought he could see hurt in his eyes.

Sam tried to explain, "Our world is threatened by Lucifer. We have to return as soon as we can."

"Ummm…" Rowena said, raising a finger and looking at Sam. "About that, Samuel. We've lost our Archangel… How, exactly, are we supposed to return home without him?"

This pulled everyone up short as they realized she was right. Would Gabriel be able to escape and make it back to Bobby's resistance to cast the spell? Or maybe Jack would be able to generate the power they needed after all. It was a long shot, especially since they still couldn't figure out why he was still unconscious. They were going to need help if they were going to make it home… Dean privately prayed to Gabriel to get his ass out of the fire and back to the resistance as fast as he could.

XXXX

Amazingly, they made it back to the resistance without much issue. Between Bobby and Faith, they managed to get back much faster than it'd taken them to get there, but it was still more than a day of straight driving on old war-torn roads. They'd had no success in waking Jack, and they'd heard nothing from Gabriel.

Rowena attempted to spy on Michael and Gabriel again, but she couldn't find anything in the church basement. There was no sign of the fight or either Archangel, so they didn't know what had happened to Gabriel, which made everyone nervous.

Mary, Kevin, and the people they'd rescued, who were apparently called Meredith and Colin, had slept almost the entire trip, exhausted as they were. Cas and Willow had wanted to wake up Mary, who had said she knew what was wrong with Jack, but Sam and Dean wouldn't let them, saying they could wait until she woke up – they had the time, since Gabriel was still missing.

Unfortunately for the frustrated angel, Mary didn't wake until they were pulling up in front of the old adapted church and at that point, Dean was focused on making sure that she got some food into her.

Kevin went off immediately when he found out that there were working showers here. Meredith and Colin were each given food and a cot and were now sitting with some other's who'd been possessed before. Apparently, they'd formed some sort of support group for ex-demons here.

When they were all back inside, sitting at a few tables in the rec room near Bobby's office, Cas finally managed to ask Mary what Michael had done to Jack. They'd put Jack on a couch nearby, looking almost dead, which made Dean nervous.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have explained that earlier!" Mary said, clearly having forgotten about explanations in her fatigue. "When Jack first arrived, I was being kept in a different cage than the one you found me in. But I wasn't being guarded. Jack found me and was attempting to break me out when one of Michael's henchmen found us, signaling his unit, who overwhelmed Jack. They knocked him out, pulled me from the cage, and brought us both to Michael."

Mary took a drink of water, while everyone waited patiently for her continue. "When we got there, Michael revived Jack. He was shocked when he realized who – what Jack was. He wanted his power. So…" she paused, closing her eyes in pain at the memory, "he beat me. Tortured me until Jack said yes." Dean felt himself snarl, and clenched his fist to keep from making a sound. Sam, who was sitting next to Mary, took her hand in his and squeezed, looking pained. They'd both been tortured before, multiple times, but the idea of someone torturing their mother was almost worse. It was worse. This Michael had to die…

"Said yes?" Buffy asked quietly. "Yes to what?"

"… oh hell," Dean said, just as quietly. He'd been so focused on hearing that his mother had been tortured, that he hadn't comprehended her words. Sam's eyes widened as he came to the realization too. " _That's_ what's wrong him?"

"That would explain it," Cas said thoughtfully.

"Feel like sharing with the class?" Faith asked. Buffy and Willow looked just as confused as Faith did. Bobby, on the other hand, looked suspicious.

"They tried to make him a vessel to an angel," Sam explained, still holding their mother's hand. Mary nodded in confirmation.

"But Jack is too strong," Cas continued. "He's fighting the influence of the possession. That's why he's unconscious; neither can get a foothold above the other. There's a power struggle going on in Jack's head." Mary nodded again. Sam met Dean's eyes and they both agreed. They would have to get the angel out of him somehow. If they had any prayer of both getting home and stopping Lucifer, they had to get that angel out of Jack.

"If that is the problem, I might be able to help," Rowena chimed in. They all turned to look at her, skepticism written on several faces, and distrust on others. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Robert, darlin'," she said pointedly to Bobby who'd been scowling at her from across the table. His frown only deepened, and Rowena simply grinned back at him in a knowing fashion. "I might have a way to repel an angel from a host, even after it's taken control. I just need a wee bit of help from the vessel."

"You've developed an angel exorcism?" Dean asked, sounding shocked.

"Well, it wasn't that hard. A tiny alteration to the demon exorcism rites and willing participation from the vessel, and it should be easy," Rowena explained.

"'Should be'?" Sam repeated.

"I've never had a chance to test it," she replied. "But this seems like an opportune time."

"Why?" Dean asked suspiciously. There had to be an ulterior motive. There always was with her.

"So suspicious, Dean darlin'," Rowena said, rolling her eyes. "Has it ever occurred to you that I simply want to help?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

"No," he said bluntly.

She huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face as she did so. "Well, be that as it may, I _did_ develop the spell. Do you want me to try it or not?" she asked. Dean turned and met Sam and Cas' eyes. Did they trust her enough to do this? What's involved in the spell? Could it hurt Jack? Well, that was a definite possibility. What if something went wrong and Jack lost his battle with the angel in his head? Rowena had the ability to kill demons, what if whatever she tried to do accidently killed the angel, and Jack along with it?

Sam's face was set and Cas looked torn but thoughtful. They were probably asking themselves the same questions that he was. And it all boiled down to, did they trust Rowena enough to do this? And what other options did they have?

A silent argument occurred around the table as everyone contemplated, searching for any other possibilities. Dean reasoned that whatever Rowena's ulterior motive, they needed Jack back, and they didn't know how to expel an angel once it had been brought in.

Eventually, everyone had the same resigned look on their faces as they all came to the same conclusion: What else could they do? Sam shrugged at Dean, who sighed. "OK, Rowena. What do you need to do?"

In response, she stood up, picked up her chair, and walked over next to Jack. She sat back down, facing him. Dean and most of the others got up to stand around them.

"I'll need space, if you please," she said, without looking at them. Dean backed up a few paces, and Sam, Cas, Buffy, and Mary followed suit. Standing near Jack's feet, Dean could see Rowena's face. She'd closed her eyes and placed a hand on his forehead.

Suddenly, her eyes opened, and her head shot back on her neck until she was staring at the ceiling with eyes completely white. In a deep voice, she said, "ut anima salva dona mihi ostium cor." She repeated the phrase several times.

A thin, bright, white line, no thicker than a hair, appeared between Rowena and Jack, connecting their hearts. It flickered and swayed slightly. It appeared that tiny beads of pale-green light started to move back and forth between the two, occasionally disappearing into their chests. Dean watched Jack intently for any sign of change, but nothing happened. Seconds turned into minutes and the tension was becoming palpable as they waited for something, anything to happen. After a while, they started to settle in to wait, realizing that this might take some time.

Faith had stayed for almost 20 minutes, but eventually, she went off to shower. Bobby and Mary had already gone off to the kitchen to get some food. Willow appeared to be in her own trance, supposedly, "trying to determine the magicks Rowena was using." Kevin had reappeared, but was sitting in a corner, by himself, looking at the floor. Over an hour had passed, and still nothing had changed. Jack was as still as ever, and Rowena hadn't moved an inch. The only sign that something was even happening was the thin sheen of sweat that had appeared of Rowena's forehead, which was still tilted back.

Dean, Sam, Cas, and Buffy, however, remained watching, saying nothing. They occasionally tried to talk, but it was strained and quickly stopped.

Suddenly, without warning, both Jack and Rowena began to thrash. Rowena was in danger of falling out of her chair, and Buffy and Sam had to hold her shoulders and legs down to keep her in place. The only thing that didn't move was her hand, which appeared to be glued to Jack's forehead. Cas and Dean tried to hold Jack down as well, but his thrashing became violent within seconds, and it was taking most of their combined strengths to keep him on the couch.

Then the screaming started.

A terrible noise, loud and strained, emanated from Jack. The screaming had three distinctly different tones, as though it was not just one person making that awful sound, but many. He was screaming like he was being tortured, and his thrashing became worse. Dean was almost kicked in the face as he attempted to hold the Nephilim's legs down. He would have covered his ears, if his hands hadn't been so busy. Everyone else in the room fled, hands over their ears. Willow had screamed briefly at the suddenly noise, opening her eyes and staring at Jack. Had she sensed something? She didn't strike Dean as the screaming type. Kevin had curled up into a ball on his chair, knees to his chest, arms over his head, rocking slightly. Mary and Bobby both ran back into the room from the kitchen, trying to find out what was happening. When they saw the scene before them, they tried to help, but Rowena and Jack were both bucking so violently now that they were at risk of being injured. So they settled for covering their ears and watching in concern.

And then, just when Dean thought that it might not stop, or something had gone horribly wrong, everything went quiet. Rowena and Jack both relaxed and Jack stopped screaming. His eyes popped open, and his mouth, which was still wide from his screaming, opened wider if possible. His back arched, and a blinding white smoke streamed from his mouth. And his eyes glowed. When the smoke was gone, and his eyes stopped emitting light, Jack closed his eyes again, and then took a deep breath.

Rowena started to stir as well. Her arm fell to her side, and her head lifted into a normal position. She was breathing heavily and finally she opened her eyes, which had returned to normal. Buffy and Sam tentatively released her as she looked at Jack, who had raised a hand to his head.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked around. Cas and Dean let go of him and stood up straight again, studying the boy. He looked tired, and his skin was pale, but he looked relieved.

"Took you long enough," he said finally, smiling. Sam laughed and Dean found himself smiling back, and he leaned forward, holding out a hand to Jack, to help him sit up. Jack stood up instead and pulled Dean into a hug. "Thank you!"

He pulled Sam and Cas into hugs as well, Cas looking slightly awkward. Mary came over and hugged him too, formally introducing herself, which seemed odd to Dean, given what they'd been through together and what he'd done to try to save her.

Dean felt good for the first time in a long time, surprisingly optimistic now that they had both Jack and Mary back. They all went back to sit around the table again, Dean idly shaking a finger in his ears to try to clear the ringing from Jack's screaming. Mary went back into the kitchen and returned with glasses of water for both Jack and Rowena. Jack took his gratefully, downing half of it in one gulp.

Rowena, however, looked at hers frowning slightly, "You don't have anything a wee bit stronger, do you?" She looked at Bobby as she spoke. Bobby grinned slightly and grabbed some Scotch from his office for her. He poured most of the others drinks too – those who accepted one anyway. The liquid burned Dean's throat on the way down, warming him.

"Jack, how are you feeling?" Cas asked.

"Tired," he said truthfully. "How long was I like that?"

"Almost 3 months, though my timing might be a little off. It was hard to keep track in that cage," Mary said, frowning.

"3 months?!" Jack exclaimed, looking at them all. "What happened?"

"Long story," Dean said. "But listen… I don't mean to rush you, but we need your help."

At that moment, Faith reappeared. "Oh!" she said, looking pleased, "the kid is up. Great! Does that mean it's time to go home?" She sounded anxious and slightly callous, but Dean noticed her eyes flicking to Bobby, who didn't meet them. She was trying not to show how much she'd miss him. He could understand that.

"We're getting there," Sam said. He turned back to Jack as Faith settled down next to Bobby. In the corner, Dean noticed that Kevin was still curled into a ball, holding his legs. He wasn't covering his head anymore, but he was watching them closely. Sam continued, "Jack, Gabriel helped us get here."

"Who's Gabriel?" Jack interrupted.

"Your uncle," Dean said. "Another Archangel that, up until recently, we thought had been dead. He took on Michael back at the church so that we could get you out." Jack nodded but still looked confused, eyebrows furrowed. Dean went on, "we needed his power to get here. Along with Rowena's and Willow's."

"Who and who?" Jack asked, sounding thoroughly lost now.

"Oh…" Dean said, realizing that Jack probably had no idea who most of the people around him were. Introductions were quickly made.

"Jack," Cas said, after Jack finished greeting Faith and Bobby, and thanking everyone profusely for their help. Jack turned to look at the angel. "When Gabriel left us to fight Michael, we're not sure if he survived. It's entirely possible that he didn't. And if that's the case, we're going to need your help – your power – to make the return trip." He met the boy's eyes, trying to silently communicate the importance of what Jack could do.

"I'm sorry," Jack said. "But I don't know if I can help. I still don't have control of my powers… and whenever I try to use them, I usually end up getting someone hurt. I… can't." He turned away from them all, not meeting their eyes. Dean looked at Jack, knowing the pain that he was feeling. The responsibility that he didn't want. Jack was their only hope in both getting home and defeating Lucifer, and he didn't want to be that.

Buffy met Dean's eyes, a clear question in them, "how are we supposed to stop the devil if Jack can't even get us home?" Dean shook his head, just slightly, communicating that he didn't know. He never should have let her come, her or Willow. They had lives back home. Willow had a wife and daughter. Buffy had a sister, friends, and Giles, her watcher. And he might have just trapped them both here. _Moron!_ he scolded himself.

"So, how do we get home?" Faith asked the group.

"I think I might be able to help," came a quiet voice from the corner. Kevin had finally left his seat and was walking over to them. He seemed more confident now. They all turned to look at him, and he cleared his throat, looking as though he was trying to gain confidence. "Michael had me translating what he called the Angel Tablet. It had a spell on it that would allow you to travel between worlds."

"We found a similar spell," Sam said. "But doesn't it require Archangel grace?"

Dean interrupted before Kevin could answer, "Wait… I thought you hadn't finished the translation, otherwise, wouldn't Michael have already gotten to our world?"

Kevin grinned surprisingly mischievously, "I might have misled him in how far I'd gotten in the translation. Your mother was very convincing that we would be getting rescued soon." He smiled at Mary, who smiled back. Dean was impressed.

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Not bad," he said. "But it still requires Archangel grace, doesn't it?"

Kevin's face fell as he remembered what they'd said about Gabriel, "Oh… right."

Suddenly, Willow's face broke into a huge smile, "I might be able to help with that." She turned to Bobby, "you might want to let down your wards for a minute." Bobby blinked in surprise, but quickly took down a few of the wardings around the church.

Gabriel appeared next to him. Bobby sputtered out a curse in surprise, but quickly regained his composure, putting the wards back up. Everyone else rushed over to Gabriel, who looked beaten, but alive.

He sat down at a table, some of his injuries already starting to heal. Then he grinned at the Winchesters. "Brought you a gift," he said. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a vile of a shining substance. Grace. "Michael's," he said simply. He put the vile down on the table and they all stared at it in silence for a moment.

"How?" Dean asked.

"When are you two chuckleheads going to get it into your thick skulls? I. Am. The. Trickster. Always have been, always will be," he said with a grin. "I swapped out his Archangel blade before I even showed myself to him. What do you think I was doing that entire time he was talking?"

Dean nodded, finally understanding why it had taken Gabriel so long to show up back at Michael's church.

"I'm afraid we can't stick around here for very long though," Gabriel continued. "It won't take long for Michael to restore his grace, and with the amount of pissed off he probably is, I'm not sure these wards will hold him." He turned to Bobby, "I'd recommend you vacate. You and your people are safe from angel's sensing you, but he still knew the general vicinity of where you were hiding out, and he'll come looking soon enough."

Bobby scowled again, "Balls!" He shook his head continuing, "Oh well, we have another place we can go. Thanks for the heads up."

"With you here, though," Dean said, looking from Gabriel to the vial of Michael's grace. "Do we really need that?"

"I thought you could keep it… you know… in case you ever wanted to return for some reason. After you defeat Lucifer, of course. Just a thought," Gabriel shrugged. Dean looked at the Archangel curiously. He was plotting something, Dean was sure of that…

Gabriel handed the grace to Cas, who tucked it carefully into an inside pocket. Then Gabriel, Willow, and Rowena started to work on reopening the rift to go home.

Faith ran back to her room to gather up her things, Bobby following her "to help," though Dean strongly suspected that it was so they could say goodbye in private. When they both came back, Faith with a backpack and the Scythe in hand, her face was calm and clear. Sam and Dean both hugged Bobby, wishing him luck with the whole Michael thing and apologies for taking his best warrior with them.

He simply smiled, called them "idjits," and said goodbye.

Mary took Jack by the hand and they went through the rift first, once it was opened. Cas, Willow, Buffy, Faith, and Rowena followed.

When it was just Dean, Sam, Bobby, Gabriel, and Kevin left in the room, Dean quickly turned to Kevin. "Come with us," he said.

"Can't," he replied. "I gotta find my mom."

"And we can help him do that," Bobby added, smiling at the prophet.

"Besides, I think I would like to put my prophet abilities to work here. I could really help these people, I think," Kevin said.

"I'm afraid, I'm gunna be staying behind too, Deano," Gabriel said.

"What?" Sam and Dean said at the same time.

"I've been on the sidelines too long," he explained. "These people are going to need someone who can take on Michael, and I can do that."

"What about Lucifer?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I've always had complete faith in you two yahoos. You've got this."

Bobby and Kevin both chuckled at this, but Dean and Sam were both staring at the Archangel.

"Get out of here, that portal won't stay open for long. And don't worry… I suspect I'll see you again," Gabriel said. He waved a hand, and both Sam and Dean were thrown through the portal back home.

* * *

 **A/N:** End of Part II

Reviews?


	17. Chapter 16

**PART III:**  
 ** _Restorations_**

Chapter 16  
Lebanon, KS  
Men of Letters Bunker

Buffy turned around as she reappeared on the street outside of the Men of Letters Bunker. Faith and Rowena appeared with a flash of light directly behind her. She breathed deeply, somehow finding the air here more refreshing. This was _her_ Earth. She was home. This place just felt _right_ to her. While she had noticed how wrong the other Earth felt, she hadn't comprehended how foreign it was until she was back here.

Cas, Mary, Jack, and Willow were standing together watching the others return and Buffy turned around, waiting for Dean, Sam, and Gabriel to appear before the portal closed. She got nervous when over a minute had passed since Faith and Rowena came back, but there was still no sign of the last three men.

Another minute passed, and Buffy glanced around at the others. Cas, Jack, and Mary were starting to look particularly nervous that the Winchester brothers had not yet returned.

They waited in silence, none of them understanding what was taking them so long. Could something have gone wrong on the other side after they'd left? But then, finally, there was a flash of yellow light and both Sam and Dean came flying out of the rift, head first. Sam landed in a heap on the ground, grunting as he hit. Dean slammed into the curb on his back, cringing in pain. Dean looked up, anger obvious on his face.

Cas and Buffy, who were closest to Dean, ran over to help him up, while Mary, Faith, and Jack ran to Sam and check on him. Dean took Buffy's hand up, staring at the rift as it faded away.

"You dick!" he shouted at the fading light.

"There's no point, Dean," Sam said, brushing himself off.

"What the hell happened?" Mary asked.

"Gabriel opted to stay behind," Sam explained. Dean winced, holding a spot on his side. Cas, noticing this, touched two fingers to Dean's forehead, healing him. Dean grunted his thanks, while Cas went to check Sam over for any injuries.

"What do you mean he's staying behind?" Mary asked. "We need his help."

"He thinks that world needs him more," Dean said.

"Well, there's nothing else we can do about it now. The portal is closed and once again, we're down an Archangel," Buffy pointed out. "Let's get inside." They agreed and headed to the front door of the bunker. Buffy pulled out her phone, turned it back on (she hadn't needed it in the other world), and called Giles to let them in. He sounded extremely relieved to hear her voice. He let them in, hugging Buffy and Willow. And then he saw Faith.

He blinked, staring at her in surprise. She smiled back and said, "Good to see you, G."

"Faith, how…" he started, but Faith just broadened her smile and pulled him into a friendly hug. Vaguely, Buffy marveled at the difference time could make. There had once been a time when Faith tried to kill Giles, tried to kill all of them. But 10 years working together to train all the new slayers, and 5 more years apart and Faith was an ally. More than that, she was a friend. A long lost friend now returned to them. She'd proved redemption was possible. She was still rough around the edges, but that was just part of who she was. Faith had walked through the flames and come out on the other side, scarred but intact. And stronger for her trials. Buffy couldn't have been prouder.

"Long story, Giles," Buffy said. "But basically, it turns out that Faith had been in that other world the entire time."

"Remarkable," Giles marveled. Finally, he returned Faith's smile and they all went into the bunker. Faith's eyes widened when she took in the Men of Letter's headquarters.

"Nice digs... What is this place?" she asked, gazing around the Crow's Nest and down into the library.

"Home," Dean said, grinning at her. He led the way down and everyone followed. He collapsed into a chair at one of the tables and most of the others followed suit.

"Anything new here?" Buffy asked her old watcher.

"I don't exactly have a connection to the angels, so I'm afraid I'm woefully out of touch with the state of Heaven and Hell. In other news," he added, smiling at Buffy and Willow, "I'm told that Xander and Annie have set a date."

"Xander and Annie?" Faith repeated. "Who's Annie?"

Rowena interjected before anyone could answer her. "Welll… This is all fascinating. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to take my leave. Dean. Samuel, I'll be having what's mine, if you please." Scowls appeared on most faces around the table, but Sam simply sighed.

"Are you sure about this?" Willow asked him quietly.

"We made a deal," he said simply, shrugging. "She met her end."

"Aye. That I did," Rowena added, smiling. "I told you that you could trust me." Sam grunted in response, and Dean rolled his eyes. The taller brother stood up and went over to a small safe that was sitting next to the mini-fridge where the Winchesters kept beer and water. He crouched down, spinning the dial to unlock the safe. There was a click and Sam pulled out a large, black, leather-bound book. Willow's scowl deepened as she looked at the book. She crossed her arms in silent protest.

Rowena stood and held out her hands, looking very pleased. "You remember our deal," Sam said, still holding the book tightly.

"Yes, of course," Rowena rolled her eyes. "I use anything I learn from this book to harm any human beings and you'll hunt me down," she said exasperatedly. Sam narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly handed over the book.

"We hear that your hurting anyone using anything, and you know we'll hunt you down anyway," Dean threatened.

Rowena practically glowed with excitement as she hugged the book to her chest, ignoring Dean. "Thank you, dear," she said to Sam. "And might I give you all a word of advice. Be careful when you go up against Lucifer… And don't expect me to bail you out when he defeats you. I, for one, will be staying well out of his way from here on out." And without another word, she turned and left the library.

"Good riddance," Buffy heard Dean mutter.

There was a slightly awkward silence for a minute before Mary turned to Giles. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced. My boys have poor manners." She grinned pointedly at her sons and continued, "This is Jack," she said, nodding to the young Nephilim. Jack smiled politely and held out a hand to Giles, which he promptly shook. Then Mary held out her own hand to him. "And I'm Mary Winchester. Sam and Dean's mom."

"Yes, of course, my apologies," Giles said, taking her hand and shaking it too. "Rupert Giles."

"Ripper?" Mary exclaimed loudly, shock in her voice. Buffy felt her mouth fall open and her eyes go wide. Willow's expression mirrored her own, and staring at Giles, who had frozen mid-handshake, Buffy saw something she didn't normally get to see. Giles, at a complete loss for words, face stunned.

"Do… Do you two know each other?" Sam asked, looking between Giles and Mary, and taking into account Willow and Buffy's surprised faces.

"Why'd you call him Ripper?" Dean asked curiously.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think…" Giles finally managed to say. He was clearly trying to regain some composure.

"It's me!" Mary said, grinning and finally releasing Giles' hand. She gestured to herself emphatically. "Mary Campbell."

"Mary Cam…" Giles started to repeat, but then his eyes went wide, recognition appearing in them, and his face broke into a huge grin. Both he and Mary suddenly stood up and embraced.

"It's good to see you, Mary," Giles said, releasing her. Everyone else in the room was watching the two, expressions ranging from curiosity, to surprise, to befuddlement. Giles' own face changed from delight to confusion, "Forgive me, but I'd heard that you were…"

"Dead?" Mary finished for him.

Giles blinked and looked at her in surprise. "Retired from hunting," he finished instead.

"Oh," Mary said, somewhat awkwardly. "Well… I was. Got married and had my boys," she explained. "But then…"

"You died?" Giles concluded, eyeing her and sitting back down. Mary nodded. "How long were you gone?" he inquired like this was a completely normal question to ask. _Our lives are weird._

Mary sat down too, "over 30 years." Buffy blinked, and she wasn't the only one to be taken aback by this news. Willow was staring at the woman stunned. They'd all heard of people coming back to life. Buffy had done it several times by now, and from what she'd heard from the Winchesters, they'd done it more than she had. But neither of them had ever heard of someone coming back to life after being gone for so long. How had that happened? _Well_ , Buffy thought, _that explains one thing. Why she looks so young._

"But how do you two know each other?" Dean asked.

"Oh, Ripper and I go way back," Mary started.

"'Ripper?'" Dean repeated.

"Sorry, I guess you must go by Rupert now?" Mary asked, looking at Giles and smiling.

"Actually, these days most people call me Giles. Though, that is mostly Buffy's doing, I suppose," he smiled warmly at his slayer. Mary looked from Giles to Buffy and back again. She seemed to be putting 2 and 2 together, drawing conclusions.

"So… you became a watcher after all, huh?" Mary said, a knowing grin on her face.

"Yes, I was growing out of my Ripper phase by the time we last met," Giles replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Which was when?" Faith asked, speaking for the first time. She looked thoughtful, eyebrows furrowed.

"Hmmm," Mary said, before Giles could answer. Then she smiled. "Oh, I know exactly when." She laughed. "June 1977. Paris."

"How on Earth do you remember that so specifically?" Giles looked at her in wonder.

"A couple different reasons. From my point of view, it was less than 8 years ago, so it's a bit more recent for me than for you. But mostly, it's because the last time I saw you, I was on my honeymoon," Mary smiled, reminiscing.

"What?" Sam and Dean both said at the same time, while Giles replied with, "You never even mentioned that you were married."

"Well, John wasn't in the game," Mary shrugged. "I didn't want anyone in the life to know him. I wanted to keep him as far away from it as I could. Fat lot of good it did me. Or him," she added, sounding a bit bitter. So their father hadn't been raised in the life after all, but had married someone who was. And yet, John Winchester's own father had also been in the life. Buffy still didn't believe in coincidences… And this was no exception. Something was at work there.

"Out of curiosity," Faith said. "Did you save G's life when you saw him on your honeymoon?"

"I wouldn't say that…" Giles began, but Mary cut him off.

"Oh really?" she asked, grinning at him. "Please, your heart was about a minute away from being a Grimslaw's lunch."

"I had the situation under control," Giles said pointedly. But then he smiled sheepishly, something that took Buffy by surprise. "But maybe you helped. Slightly," he conceded. He seemed younger talking to her. More animated, less British. It made Buffy smile.

"Definitely," Faith said, earning a curious look from most of the group. Cas, however, was nodding, seemingly in understanding. She turned to Buffy. "That's why the Slayer line was kaput on the other side. Mary never got married there, so she never went on a honeymoon. So G was never saved, and Red was never rescued. And the potentials were never awoken."

"That's not including the fact that Sam and Dean were never born, and the war between Heaven and Hell destroyed the planet," Cas added.

"That's quite the chain of events," Willow mused. Buffy's head was spinning trying to connect all the dots, but she thought she understood it now.

"What are you all talking about?" Giles asked, gazing at Faith.

"I'll explain later," Buffy said.

"Actually, I'd kinda like to know that too…" Mary said, looking from Faith to Cas. Cas briefly explained his theory. That the linchpin, separating this reality from that one, was Mary's demon deal to save her then-boyfriend and future husband. Mary stared at him in stunned silence. Giles looked equally amazed. "Are you saying," Mary said slowly, "that that entire reality, that entire planet, became like it was because in that reality I didn't take the deal?"

Cas nodded, "That's my theory."

"So that whole world is my fault?" she exclaimed.

"Not yours, Mom," Dean said, trying to sound soothing. " _You_ made the deal. You saved this earth. Everyone in this room owes you their lives." Mary blinked several times trying to come to terms with what she'd just learned. Suddenly, she stood up.

"I'm… tired," she said, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm going to bed." Briefly, she looked at her sons. "Is my room still… mine?" she asked. Sam and Dean both nodded and Mary headed to the hallway. She stopped for a second, and put a hand on Giles' arm, "It's really good to see you again, Rupert." And then she left.

A silence followed in her wake. Finally, Jack spoke up, "So, now what do we do?"

"Jack," Sam said, "We haven't had a chance to tell you, but some things have happened since you went to the other world…" The group filled him in on the state of things here, particularly around his father.

"So things are even worse than when I left?" Jack asked. He looked scared. Sam, Dean, and Cas all nodded. "How do we stop him?"

"I think," Cas said, "that it's time we train you to use your powers." Willow and Giles both nodded. It appeared that they'd come to the same conclusion. That Jack needed to be able to control his abilities before he went up against his father. It made sense, but Buffy had no idea where to start to train a Nephilim.

"'Train him?'" Dean repeated. "How?"

Suddenly, Willow yawned. They'd only been gone for about 6 days, but it had been an exhausting 6 days for all of them.

Cas looked at them all, "I have a few ideas, but we can better discuss them tomorrow. For tonight, I think it would be better if you all get some sleep. I'm going to check on the status of things here since we've been gone. See if I can find out how long we have until Lucifer makes a move on Earth." They all agreed, most of them standing up. Willow followed Cas out, to help with the wardings before she went off to bed.

Sam led Faith out of the library, showing her to an empty bedroom. Jack and Giles headed off to their own rooms as well. Dean got up, only to grab a beer from the fridge before sitting back down. He twisted the cap off and threw it in a garbage can nearby, before taking a sip. She and Dean were alone in the library now. Buffy hadn't made a move to leave either. Though it had been a long week, Buffy felt strangely awake. Too much had happened. Too much _was_ happening.

Maybe it was everything that was going on, but Buffy felt wired. She wanted to blow off some steam, so she decided that maybe she might train in the gym for a little while before bed. She said goodnight to Dean, who simply raised his beer in acknowledgment to her, though as she left, she thought she felt his eyes on her. She stopped by her room to change into some clothes that didn't smell like she'd been wearing them for a week, though she'd actually only been wearing them for about 2 days. She really needed a shower too, but she decided that she might as well save that for after her workout.

She stopped by the bathroom, desperate to brush her teeth, and the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, before finally going down to the gym. She found 2 old treadmills that looked ancient, though surprisingly in good condition, along with several weight machines, punching bags, sparing dummies, practice weapons, free weights, a towel rack, and a large laundry bin. According to Sam, this place was abandoned in the late 50's – those treadmills must have been the height of modern at the time.

She wondered if Sam or Dean ever actually used this room. Sam, maybe. But she thought she'd be surprised if Dean had ever actually stepped foot in here. He was more of the opinion that he got plenty of exercise on his hunting trips. And he wasn't wrong. But Buffy enjoyed working out. It kept her from thinking too much, and helped her blow off all that Slayer energy when she wasn't using it, which had been common before the Winchesters blew into her life.

She started on the treadmill. It wasn't electrical at all, and had a simple metal hand rest on the front. She had to push the fabric belt herself to get it to move under her, but once she got going, she found it was almost as easy to use as a modern one that moved on its own. After 20 minutes, she realized that she was using more muscles than she was used to from a regular treadmill and she discovered that she liked it more, as it worked her harder.

Climbing off the treadmill, her forehead glistening, she drank some water. Then she grabbed a wooden practice Kendo long sword from a rack. It was surprisingly well balanced. She moved into the center of the room, holding the sword in both hands, moving into the Chudan no kamae form. She positioned her left foot behind her right, heel in the air. Her legs were separated, feet forward, and her knees bent. She rolled on the balls of her feet as though ready to spring. She held the sword before her at eye level, pointed toward an imaginary opponent. She held the position for a moment.

She focused on her breathing, slowing her heart rate, and exhaling slowly, relaxing her body. She closed her eyes and took a slow step forward. She raised the sword over her head and at an angle to the right and behind her.

She moved through the forms slowly, relishing in the movement. In her breathing. She was focused, and found herself feeling peaceful in the practiced motions. She hadn't done this in a long time and it felt familiar, good.

Feeling better than she'd felt in days, she moved on from there to the punching bags. She felt loose and free now, and wanted to _move._ She'd been throwing basic punches and kicks for about 10 minutes, when she felt something that was becoming all too familiar. Eyes on her back. Breathing heavily, she turned and found Dean leaning against the doorframe into the training room. He was eyeing her, a very small smile on his face.

"Don't stop on my account, sweetheart" he said simply. He was still drinking a beer. Buffy wasn't sure if it was the same one or a new one. How long had she been down here? She wasn't sure. She lowered her arms and turned to look at him. What was he doing here? Why hadn't he gone to bed like everyone else?

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously, though she suspected she already knew the answer. "I thought everyone was supposed to go to bed?"

"You didn't," he pointed out.

"Had some energy to burn," she shrugged. She was suddenly very aware of how sweaty she was. Her face was flushed, but her breathing and heart rate were returning to normal. She moved some stray hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. "What about you?"

"I was enjoying the show," he grinned at her. _Goddamn flirt!_ She scolded herself, not for the first time, for occasionally encouraging him. It'd been hard to resist, he was cute, and when he let his guard down and was just himself, she found that she actually really liked him. As a friend, of course.

Of course.

She gave him her best glare, "Is now really the time for flirting?"

"Not busy at the moment," he pointed out.

She ignored him, and turned back around to face the punching bag. She hit it hard, sending it rocking backward. She could still feel his eyes on her. She tried to ignore it, but it became increasingly difficult.

Jab. Jab. Cross. Back. Jab.

Green eyes on her.

Front kick. Side kick. Roundhouse.

The bag went flying, the chain it was hanging from breaking under the strain she'd put it under. The bag landed with a thud on the floor a few feet away. _Whoops._

"Nice work," Dean observed. She lowered her foot, breathing heavily. Why was she putting up with him right now? He'd gotten her so worked up that she made a rookie slayer mistake. Stupid green eyes. She turned to face him.

"Unless you feel like sparring, go away," she said, feeling annoyed, mostly at herself.

Dean smiled widely, downed his beer, and put the empty bottle down. He stepped into the room, and took off his flannel over-shirt, throwing it casually to the floor. His dark black shirt underneath was tighter across his chest than she would have expected.

"I was joking," she said quickly, realizing that he was taking her up on the offer.

"No you weren't," he said, looking at her calmly. His face relaxed, losing the smirk that had previously been there. Now he was eyeing her seriously. "I know you can take me. Pretty easily too. But if you really want a fighting partner, I'm in."

Those eyes were going to be the (latest) death of Buffy. She nodded and assumed a fighting stance. He stood there, and suddenly Buffy wondered if he'd ever actually had any official training. She'd seen him fight, fought him briefly, but she still wasn't sure how good he was when he had a clear head.

He nodded back and came at her. He threw a punch at her face, which she easily dodged. He quickly followed that up with a jab and she blocked it. He was testing her. And she was pretty sure he was holding back, not actually wanting to hurt her. She pulled her punches as she tested him right back.

He blocked one hit, but she landed a kick in his side. He took it, moving with the momentum from the kick, going sideways and throwing a punch at her gut. She blocked him again and waited for him to regain his balance.

They fell into a kind of dance, each more testing the other than trying to land actual hits. He managed to jab her in the gut and she bent down, sweeping his legs out from under him. He rolled and was back on his feet in seconds, while she caught her breath. He was very good, as street fighting goes, but as they continued, his moves became more erratic as she continued to land hits, and he had barely touched her. He clearly wasn't used to fighting like this. He was used to fighting for his life, and against larger opponents. And with guns. He grabbed her shoulders, rocking them both, trying to knock her down, but he left his front exposed in doing so, and she open-palmed his chest pushing him backward.

He grunted, stumbling, and then rushed her. He managed to tackle her to the floor, which was, thankfully, padded, but she easily maneuvered them so that she landed on top of him. They were both breathing heavily as she pinned him to the floor, straddling his hips.

Suddenly, he was grinning up at her and she realized the position that she'd put them in. Amazingly, he didn't say anything or try to get up, he just looked at her appraisingly. Those green eyes were sparkling up at her, amused, and she surprised them both by grinning back, causing him to raise his eyebrows. They were both breathing heavily, sweating from their fight, and she found herself studying him. His face, his arms, his chest.

She could feel his racing pulse, her hands on his chest. She couldn't deny that he was an extremely good looking man. Maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible thing if she gave in to his flirting. It had been a long time, after all. What could be the harm? It would probably be fun. It would definitely be fun. She looked at his lips, which were still smiling. As long as he didn't read too much into it.

And she doubted very much that he would. He didn't strike her as the kind of guy to get attached. And then she remembered why it would be a bad idea. He might not be that kind of person, but she was. She'd had the occasional one-night stand over the years, and she'd almost always regretted it.

Besides, there was way too much going on at the moment to get distracted by a pair of soft lips and beautiful green eyes. Really, really beautiful green eyes. This man was simply too gorgeous to be allowed. Damn him.

"I know it's fun to be on top, sweetheart, but unless you're thinking of starting something, which, believe me, I would have no problem with, would you mind getting up?"

She blinked in surprise. She hadn't realized how long they'd been in that position; over a minute had passed. She felt herself go red and she quickly climbed off of him, standing up. She held out a hand to help him up and he chuckled, accepting it.

Still grasping her hand, he pulled her in close to him and looked down into her eyes. She was suddenly startled by how very tall he was. She hadn't really considered it before because he was so often dwarfed by his even taller little brother. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Thanks for the fun," he said quietly, meeting her eyes. "This will be a pleasant memory to fall asleep to. G'night, slayer."

What the hell? Did he really just say that?

Buffy felt her cheeks burning again. This went beyond flirting. He was trying to make light of a connection she was sure they were both feeling. He smiled, turned, and walked out without a second glance.

She stood there for several long minutes, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Was there really a connection there, or was she just trying to convince herself of that? His last words were those of a man who liked to flirt, tease. An ass. But she'd looked into his eyes; she'd seen earnestness, sincerity, and a deep hidden pain that she was sure he never let out. Certainly not in front of her. Not in front of anyone, except maybe, very rarely, his brother. Which Dean was the real Dean?

Buffy's breathing was finally starting to normalize after his abrupt departure. She picked up a towel and her water bottle and left, passing Dean's discarded shirt that still lay on the ground. Her thoughts were frantic and confused as she showered and finally fell into bed.

Images of Dean swam through her head as she closed her eyes, and she realized that despite the last few weeks, and not having slept much in days, and her workout, she wasn't going to get much sleep as green eyes taunted her in the darkness.

"Crap."

* * *

 **A/N:** Please forgive Dean. I'm sorry if this seemed slightly OOC for him, but Dean is working through his feelings, which he isn't used to doing, so he's saying the first idiotic things that come to mind. The next chapter will delve into this more. Please bear with me!


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
Lebanon, KS  
Men of Letters Bunker

There was something seriously wrong with Dean. Why the hell had he said that? What inspired him to be such an ass? He'd been enjoying the flirting and the banter, but then he had to go and say something like that. Why? Because he'd felt something, that's why. Because he was a moron who loved getting in his own way. Because he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Buffy was starting to feel something for him.

Something real?

And he couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't let an amazing woman like that fall for a jackass like him. Maybe trying to sleep with her had been a mistake. She didn't seem like the kind of woman to be OK with one-night stands. If she consented to sleep with him, it would probably mean that she wanted more, and he couldn't give her that. Not with his life. Not with the way he inevitably screwed everything up.

There was something so, so wrong with Dean.

He laid in bed sometime later, thinking about what had just happened in the training room. He'd enjoyed the image of her hovering over him, but she'd stayed there for so long, just looking at him. It had actually made him slightly uncomfortable.

And then he'd blown it. He'd pulled her close and said something so stupid. So asinine. He'd left after that, unable to look back at her because he was embarrassed. No, that was the wrong word. Ashamed. He was ashamed.

He rolled over, eyes open, gazing at the dark wall that held his guns. Buffy didn't like guns. He sighed, thinking about her laugh on the few occasions that she'd managed to relax around him. When he'd managed to relax around her, when he'd stopped focusing on trying to sleep with her, and instead just let himself be… Dean.

He was being stupid. They didn't have time for these games. He was distracting both of them with his ridiculous pursuit. And if she really was starting to feel something for him (unlikely now, after that last comment), he was only making things worse by continuing this. Maybe when Lucifer was dealt with, he could think about it, but now wasn't the time. He needed to sleep. He needed to help Jack get ready to face his father.

He needed to protect Buffy and her friends, who were only in this fight because he'd dragged them into it. But Buffy had insisted she join them; that she had to help. Why? He hadn't wanted her to come along. He'd been trying to protect her by keeping her out of it. But instead, he'd let her come. And now, not only was she in danger, but so was her best friend and her watcher, who was practically her father.

He should have sent them all away. Sent them all home. Maybe he still could? Sam, Dean, and Cas had handled these things alone before, they didn't need the Slayers and Company. Dean had heard Buffy refer to her group of friends as the "Scoobies." How appropriate. How innocent.

But Dean knew that Buffy wouldn't leave. She was too stubborn. She would see this through, just like he would have if their situations were reversed. None of them would be able to leave, knowing that the fate of the world was at stake. And if Buffy wasn't going to leave, neither would Willow, Giles, or Faith. And Willow was a mother, why was she risking not seeing her wife and daughter again for this? Why was Buffy letting her? _Because Willow's good_ , he thought. _She knows she can help, and she's doing what she feels is right_. And so were Buffy and the others. No, they definitely wouldn't leave, no matter what he said.

Dean rolled over again, sighing. How was he not tired? He was used to not getting a lot of sleep, but after the last week, he would have thought he'd be able to sleep soundly for at least one full night. And yet, here he was. Questioning things that had nothing to do with the situation at hand, and thinking about a girl that he had no right to think about.

"Crap," he said out loud.

He sat up and turned on the light next to his bed. Deciding that maybe some cool water on his face would help, he got up to go to the bathroom. He pulled on his Men of Letters bathrobe and stepped out into the hall. He walked on soft, slippered feet, still trying not to think about Buffy. And failing miserably.

As he was approaching his brother's bedroom, he was surprised to hear a voice coming from behind the door. A woman's voice. What the hell?

"Thanks for the fun. I'm gunna go shower," she said.

And just as Dean was passing, the door opened and Faith stepped out, pulling on a dark top. Dean felt his eyebrows shoot up, and a grin form on his face. _Way to go, Sammy!_ Beyond the door, Dean just caught a glimpse of Sam, torso bare and anti-possession tattoo visible, sitting up in the bed, a sheet covering his lower half. He was staring at Faith, confusion written all over his face. He briefly met Dean's eyes, but before his face could register a hint of a reaction, Faith had closed the door behind herself and fell into step with Dean, headed toward the bathrooms.

Dean couldn't stop himself from chuckling. Faith was smiling too. She was wearing some shorts and a tank top she must have borrowed from Willow, Buffy, or maybe even Mary. It was even possible that Willow had conjured her up some clothes, because Dean was certain she hadn't brought any with her from the other world. She was walking barefoot.

"So," he said, still smiling. "You and Sammy..."

"Don't even think on it, Winchester," she said, though she continued grinning. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she went on, apparently feeling the need to explain. "Look, I've been living in an apocalyptic universe for five years. I wanted to celebrate coming home… and maybe burn off some pent up frustration. Your little – _big_ – bro seemed like the best option. Since it seems that B already choose you."

Dean stared at her, eyebrows furrowed. Buffy had chosen him? Great, more confusing thoughts to add to the ones he already had. Faith was probably mistaken. She hadn't seen Buffy in 5 years, after all.

Faith looked at him curiously, her grin expanding. "So, have you two gotten all hot and sweaty yet?"

Dean stopped and looked at Faith. Was she serious? Wasn't one to beat around the bush, was she? He remembered his first impression of her, all those years ago; flirty, bold, unashamed. Very much like he was. Looks like he'd been right to think he'd have had a better chance with her than Buffy. But now that he was getting to know them both, he realized that he was far more interested in Buffy. She was honest, sincere, good. So many things that he wasn't. Faith, on the other hand, was hard to pin down. But he'd never use the word "innocent" to describe Faith.

"No," he said slowly, honestly. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Faith studied him. All the piss and vinegar that was usually in her expressions and movements seemed to flow out of her, and suddenly she looked somber, more genuine. "Maybe not. But listen, I've known B for almost 20 years. And I know her type. And she always gets what she wants."

Dean thought she was being honest, but he couldn't help hearing a hint of bitterness in her voice. Like Buffy had gotten things that Faith could never have. He didn't think that Faith blamed Buffy for whatever it was, but she was still slightly sore about it. Maybe she always would be. He suddenly wondered if there was more to Buffy and Faith's story than just simple long-term friendship. He looked at her, consideringly. But despite Faith's words, he still thought Buffy wouldn't want him. _Shouldn't_ want him. He would be a mistake. He remembered Sam's words that Buffy had dated monsters. "I know her type," Faith had said. He was a monster too. The things he'd done over the years, maybe he was her type. He would have to put a stop to that, if it was true.

Suddenly, Faith was smiling again. "Oh relax," she said, starting to walk again. He followed her, still not saying anything. " _She_ probably doesn't even know. Knowing her, she'll be so focused on the mission, it won't even register as an option until it's too late. But just know," she stopped again and out of nowhere, a suspicious glare appeared on her face. She poked him in the chest. Hard. "If you hurt her, I will stab you in the throat. Got that, Rocky?"

He stared at her. She was completely serious. He had no doubt of that. Just one more reason to start staying away from Buffy Summers. His brain snagged on something she said, the only thing he could respond to, and he asked, "Balboa or Horror?"

She smiled, but didn't answer, instead turning and going into one of the bathrooms. He stood staring at the door she'd disappeared behind, and he heard the shower turn on. He shook his head as this very strange woman, and went into the next bathroom instead.

Well, that makes two things to happen tonight that Dean couldn't explain. He thought his life had been weird before. Now he had these slayers putting confusing thoughts into his head. His life was always complicated, but at least his own thoughts had usually been straightforward, clear. Until now…

He washed his face in the sink with some very cold water, trying to clear his head. Women. What the hell? And these women could kick his ass if they wanted to. Just awesome. He dried his face on a towel and went back to his room. He could still hear the shower running as he passed the first bathroom.

And now he was back to exactly where he'd started. He'd gotten up to try to clear his head, but instead, Faith had made things so much worse.

Well, at least Sammy had gotten some action. And then, unbidden, an image of Faith and Sam floated before his mind's eye, and suddenly he was urgently recalling the images of Buffy on top of him after their fight. One thing was for certain. Dean wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

XXXX

The next morning, Dean groaned as he rolled over. As expected, he'd gotten very little sleep. He looked at his phone, confirming that it was only 7am. He groaned again, and rolled out of bed, trying to rub the sleep (or lack thereof) out of his eyes. Coffee. Coffee would solve everything.

He pulled on a black t-shirt and some jeans, but didn't bother with shoes, slipping his feet into his slippers again. And he shuffled off to the kitchen. As he approached the door, he could smell the sweet aroma of his savior. He blinked in the light of the kitchen, and found Sam, sitting alone at the table, a mug of black coffee and a bowl of cereal in front of him. The image of his confused face from last night and Faith coming out of his bedroom came back to him, and Dean suddenly felt more like himself.

He smiled.

"Well, there he is," he said, motioning to Sam, while he walked over to the coffee pot. "Way to go, Sammy!"

"Shut up," Sam said, his cheeks slightly red. He sipped his coffee. Dean laughed and joined him at the table after pouring himself a mug.

"I'm just saying… Faith. Nice choice. Hot," he said. "Nailed it!" He waited for the desired effect of Sam rolling his eyes, and Dean added, "pun intended." He clapped his brother on the shoulder from across the table, causing some coffee to spill out of the mug still in Sam's hand. He grunted and grabbed a napkin to soak up the spill.

"Wasn't really a choice," Sam muttered, tossing the soaked napkin into the garbage. Dean raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Well… I mean, obviously it was, but it's just that… she's…" he hesitated, looking for the right word.

"Feisty?" Dean suggested. Sam scowled and Dean went on, his smile widening with every word, "Insistent? Predatory? Insatiable?"

"Stop describing her," Sam cut him off, glaring. "You're making me feel the need to shower. I was going to say that she's tenacious."

Dean closed his eyes, laughing loudly, "Sammy! You dog! I'm so proud."

"Shut up," Sam said again. Dean continued laughing as he sipped his coffee. Sam simply scowled at him, and then he looked up slightly, meeting Dean's eye, and he grinned too, a hint of amusement, and maybe pride in his face. There it was. There's the Sam that Dean loved. The man who occasionally loosened up and actually had fun.

Dean was about to ask more specific questions, laughter still in his voice when Mary walked into the kitchen, effectively shutting him up. Glancing at his brother, Dean saw that Sam had gone more red and was quickly trying to cover it up by drinking his coffee.

"Mor-oorrning," their mother said, yawning mid-word. Her eyes were half closed and her hair was messy as she ambled over to the coffee pot. "Oh, you beautiful creature, how I've missed you," she muttered as she poured herself a cup. She sat down at the table with them and said, "is there any bacon?"

She seemed oblivious to the fact that her entrance had interrupted a conversation. Dean said, "'Fraid not. We haven't had a chance to go on a milkrun since we got back." Mary nodded in understanding, looking slightly regretful about it. Dean vowed to himself to get some ASAP. They had to go shopping anyway. There were now more people living in the bunker than there had been in over 70 years. Maybe more people than there ever had been.

"There's cereal in the pantry, though, Mom," Sam said. Dean looked at his brother and was amused that his cheeks were still pink. He'd never had to worry about being caught with a girl by his mother before. Neither of them had…

Mary nodded and got up to make herself some breakfast.

People came in and out of the kitchen over the next hour, getting coffee or breakfast. When Buffy came in, she wouldn't meet Dean's eyes. She poured herself some coffee and quickly left again. Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean at this, a question in his look. Dean simply shook his head slightly. Clearly Buffy was pissed at him about last night. He couldn't blame her.

Faith, on the other hand, came in, smiled at both brothers, and sat down with a bowl of cereal next to Dean. Sam had gone slightly pink again at her entrance, but she made no comment to hint at what had happened the night before. Dean did notice that she seemed to be talking much more to Dean and Jack, who'd come in shortly after her, than Sam.

In fact, was she ignoring Sam? And then Dean realized. She was sending a message, clear as day: it was a one-time-thing, and it meant nothing. Sam took it in stride, narrowing his eyes at her briefly when he'd realized what she was doing, but otherwise, wasn't affected. In fact, Dean was fairly certain that Sam had already moved on too.

 _And that is how it should be done_ , Dean mused. One night of fun, and moving on with your lives. It doesn't have to mean anything. Why couldn't Buffy be like that? And suddenly, he was back, harping on that damn blonde all over again. Ugh!

Faith left with Jack, heading toward the library and talking quietly about the other world. That left Sam and Dean alone in the kitchen again.

"Well, at least you know where she stands," Dean said, shrugging to his brother.

"Honestly, I'm not really surprised," Sam said. The embarrassment that he'd previously displayed was gone. Yup, he was already over it. He looked at his older brother, an eyebrow raised, "What happened with you and Buffy."

Dean hesitated for only a second before he said, "Nothing. Why?"

"I saw that look she gave you. Or rather, I saw the looks she _wasn't_ giving you. Something happened."

"Nothing like that," Dean said, sighing.

"Not for lack of trying," Sam put in.

Dean laughed dryly. He wasn't wrong. "That might have been a mistake," he admitted. Sam looked genuinely surprised now, confusion on his face. "We sparred last night, and she managed to tackle me to the floor. I might have said something after that, that made me sound like a jackass."

"You are a jackass," Sam commented, unable to resist. "How could she tell the difference?"

"Bite me," Dean retorted maturely, causing Sam to laugh.

"Seriously, though," Sam said. "You think you offended her?"

"More than likely," Dean mused. "A nice girl like her shouldn't have to deal with my kind of crap."

"What crap would that be? The hunting or the flirting?"

"Both. But in her case, the hunting – or the slaying – is kinda inevitable. I shouldn't be making her life more complicated by… being me," Dean said, staring into his coffee.

Sam tilted his head, considering his brother, "You're still leaving something out."

Dean's head shot up, "I'm not."

"Yeah, you are. You think I can't tell when you're leaving something out by now? Something that made you suddenly decide sleeping with Buffy would be a mistake. What was it?" he asked. Dean didn't answer him and Sam narrowed his eyes studying his brother, "You're afraid that she might have feelings for you." It wasn't a question, and Dean still didn't respond. Sam chuckled and shook his head, "Dude, you really are a jackass. You think no one's noticed how you two interact? You like this girl, more than just wanting to get into her pants. And you're worried that she might like you because, for some idiotic reason, you think you don't deserve her."

"I think I'll get her killed," he said quietly, more to himself.

"Or both," Sam finished. "Get over it, man. Besides, she's more than capable of taking care of herself. And while you're both freaking out about this, you're both going to be distracted when we try to fight Lucifer. So, either talk to the girl and figure this out, or get over it, move on, and focus. Speaking of which, I think everyone else is already in library. We're supposed to be figuring out how to train Jack. C'mon."

Sam stood up and waited for Dean to follow him. When had Sam gotten so good at reading him? Stupid sasquatch. They walked to the library in silence, Sam occasionally glancing at Dean and chuckling in amusement. Clearly, Sam thought that Dean was being ridiculous. Maybe he was.

When they got to the library, everyone (except Cas who was still out) was waiting for them. Willow and Giles were sitting at a table with Jack, seemingly trying to determine how much control he already had over his powers. Jack was simply shaking his head, looking regretful, clearly trying to explain that he couldn't control any of them. Mary was sitting nearby, listening, but not saying much. She smiled at her sons when they entered, but then continued following the conversation.

Faith and Buffy were sitting on the steps to the observatory, talking in low voices. Faith appeared to be sharing a story to Buffy, and based on the looks they were both tossing Sam, Dean could guess the topic. This cheered Dean up considerably, and when Sam noticed, he turned slightly pink again. He might already be over the one-night stand with Faith, but that didn't mean he wanted it to become public knowledge.

Sam and Dean both sat down at a table across from each other, starting to listen to the conversation with Jack. Suddenly, a loud exclamation met their ears, and everyone turned toward Buffy, who had gone very red and was staring at Faith, mouth open. Dean could only speculate that Faith had told her something she really didn't want to know, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam go red again, guessing the same thing.

But then Faith turned, and looked straight at Dean, an obvious and pointed grin on her face. Buffy's eyes followed her gaze, briefly meeting Dean's before she quickly moved them away. And then Dean realized that Sam and Faith was not the cause of Buffy's shout. Faith had said something about him and Buffy. Buffy's pink cheeks made that clear. Sam had noticed Faith and Buffy's looks too and he was shaking his head and smiling again. He looked relieved and was now watching Dean, who had quickly looked away from Buffy too, the feeling of being an asshole returning. This had to stop. He had to put a stop to it – no more flirting with Buffy.

But that wouldn't stop Faith or Sam from their teasing of either of them. _Shit_. This was a nice hole that he'd dug for himself.

Oh well, he could handle the teasing, but Sam was right. He and Buffy needed to focus on the task at hand. He'd talk to her later, and apologize, and promise to stop flirting… just not in those words.

Everyone was still looking at Faith and Buffy, the other conversation having come to a standstill, and an awkward silence followed. He glanced around, looking at anyone and anything, other than Buffy, who was also avoiding his gaze, and Faith and Sam, who simply look amused. Dean could see the range of expressions on the faces of the other people in the room.

Giles was looking at Buffy with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Mary simply looked thoughtful, eyes narrowed. Jack was gazing at the slayer with a surprised and confused look on his face; he was still trying to understand humans. Willow's eyes had found Dean's and she seemed to make the connection too, a small grin forming on her face. Great, one more person he'd have to avoid talking to privately.

Thankfully, at that moment, his phone rang. He sighed with relief, as everyone's heads turned toward him, if they weren't already looking his way. He pulled out his phone, Cas' name appearing on the screen, and he put the phone on speaker, setting it on the table between him and Sam.

"Dean, I'm back, can you please let me in? I have some news," came Cas' gravelly voice when Dean answered.

They let the angel in and Dean was concerned to see that Cas looked slightly disheveled. His hair was messed, and his tie was loose and crooked. There was a tear in his coat and what looked suspiciously like blood on his shirt, though Dean could see no injury.

"Did you get into a fight?" Dean asked as they walked back into the library to meet everyone else.

"Briefly," Cas said, sitting down. Unbidden, Mary reached over, and straightened his tie for him. "Thank you," he said, patting his now straight tie as she sat back.

"You're welcome," she said. She looked him up and down, a frown on her face. "That's not your blood," she commented, pointing.

"No," he admitted.

"Are you hurt?" Jack asked anxiously.

"No," Cas said again. He sighed. "Ran into some of your father's demons. They were working _with_ angels under Lucifer's orders."

"He's got the angels and the demons working together?" Faith asked, joining the group and sitting down. Buffy followed her, sitting down too.

"Yes," the angel answered. "Neither side seemed particularly happy about it. I killed the demons, but the angels seemed hesitant to attack."

"They're afraid of you," Dean noted, clapping Cas on the back.

"Unlikely," Cas shook his head. "They want me dead just as much as Lucifer does. No, I think they wanted to talk. Which is what I wanted, of course, so we talked."

"And?" Sam prompted.

"I've found out the reason that the angels yielded heaven to the Serpent," he closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly, as though he still couldn't quite believe what he'd learned. They all patiently waited for him to continue. "Lucifer claimed that he could restore the angels' wings. And he also claimed that he could actually make new angels. With the dwindling number of angels in heaven, you can see how that would be tempting."

Dean whistled, "No wonder they gave in." Cas nodded.

Sam looked thoughtful, "Can he even do that? He doesn't have that kind of power, does he?"

"Could he be telling the truth?" Jack asked, sounding somehow both hopeful and doubtful.

"Highly unlikely," Cas said. "It's true, the power of an Archangel is awesome, but I think if he could or even wanted to do any of these things, he would have done so already."

"Maybe he's working on it?" Jack proposed. "Trying to figure out how?"

"Jack," Sam said regretfully. "Lucifer wants power. And he wants to destroy. The only things he's ever created were done so, so that they could cause more destruction. Like the demons. He's not going to help the angels. He wants to punish God for punishing him. And that means conquering heaven, the angels, Earth, and most importantly, humans. What he told the angels were practically campaign promises."

Jack looked disheartened, but unsurprised at the explanation.

"At least he didn't promise to 'Make Heaven Great Again,'" Willow muttered to herself. Dean couldn't help but chuckle quietly at that. He wasn't sure if anyone else heard her.

"Sam's right, Jack," Cas said, looking at the Nephilim. "Lucifer's promises mean nothing. And that's why the angels were willing to talk to me. They were frustrated that Lucifer hadn't yet done anything he'd promised. And they were even more angry that they were being forced to work with demons." Cas looked at the gathered group, "I think we were right. Making the angels and the demons work together can only mean one thing. He's preparing to conquer Earth."

"I don't suppose any of those angels would be willing to… I don't know… help stop him, in any way?" Dean asked sarcastically.

Cas shook his head, "No. Truthfully, I think they were hoping that's what I was doing there. They… um… asked if me and my 'pet humans' were working on this and how long until we fixed it."

"Hold it," Dean interrupted. Cas looked uncomfortable, probably knowing what was coming, "Sorry, but did you say 'pet humans?' That's just rude."

"That's not even it though," Sam interjected, sounding angry. "They just expect us to fix it? And then they can come in and return to the status quo, after we take on the devil alone? What the hell is that about?"

"I… tried to explain to them that they shouldn't just expect us to fix it. That they should stand up for what is right, but they didn't seem to understand. They were too scared of Lucifer, or maybe too scared of thinking for themselves to even try," Cas said.

"Do angels not know how to think for themselves?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I know I'm still new to this whole angel thing, but the ones I've met seem to be able to do that just fine." She looked around at the group, confused. Willow matched her expression but everyone else just looked resigned.

Faith smiled slyly and muttered, "The Angel you know is a little different from the ones we're talking about." Buffy glared at her, but Willow had to bite back a laugh.

"Angels are like brainwashed soldiers," Giles explained, eyeing Faith, but ignoring her comment. "Most of them only know how to follow orders."

"Besides, you've had a bad sampling," Dean said. "You've only met Cas, Gabriel, Lucifer, and Michael. And those are probably the only angels still around who regularly think for themselves."

"A few others have learned to do it," Cas said fairly.

"Not enough," Dean spat bitterly.

Cas nodded, agreeing. "Regardless, I think we're on our own here," the angel sighed.

"So, business as usual, then," Sam said, shaking his head. He looked at Cas, a thought occurring to him, "You didn't tell them we had Jack, did you?"

"No," Cas said quickly. "Lucifer has issued orders stating that Jack is to be found alive and brought before him immediately. And even the angels that aren't following the Adversary want… well… I think it's best to keep Jack's whereabouts quiet. For now."

Jack looked uncomfortable at that. He knew what Cas hadn't said. The ones who weren't looking for Jack on Lucifer's orders, were looking for him in order to kill him. Dean was just grateful that even if they did find him, the chances of them killing Jack were slim. Not even an angel blade can kill a Nephilim. But they could kidnap him. They could torture him. They could use him for his power. Dean wasn't about to let that happen. Jack was a good, albeit sometimes confused, kid, and he was trying to do what was right.

They sat in silence for a moment, coming to terms with what they'd just learned. Finally, Giles spoke up, "So, I have had some ideas as to how to start training Jack. I think we need to focus on his senses and instincts before we proceed with anything else. Willow and I have come up with a training regimen."

He pulled out a notebook and, briefly hesitating, he passed it to Cas and Jack. Cas took it, holding it out so that Jack could read it too.

Cas nodded in appreciation. "This is good," he said. "This will be a good place to start. There is a field nearby that we could work in."

"Do we need that much space?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I believe so," Giles said. "The more space we have, the more we can do and try. It also means that if something were to go… wrong, the rest of us would be a bit safer."

"But won't that leave us a little exposed?" Sam asked, looking at the old watcher.

"Not if I put up a barrier," Willow said, smiling. "I can put up a kind of dome that will keep any magicks we perform, or any powers used or exhibited inside. And keep anyone trying to find us or sense us unable to do so."

"Ok, Hermione," Sam said, chuckling.

Willow grinned, "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much." Dean shook his head, only slightly comprehending the exchange. In a bittersweet way, Willow reminded him of Charlie. He smiled sadly at the thought.

"Do we have enough time to do this?" Mary asked. "I mean, no offense to Jack, but we may not have a lot of time before Lucifer moves on Earth, and I guess we don't really know how long it will take for Jack to gain full use of his abilities."

"I found a spell in one of the books here that is supposed to allow you to take yourself out of time… into sort of a pocket time dimension. We could try something like that?" Willow proposed in a breathy voice.

"I'm afraid that would be an unwise decision," Giles said. Cas nodded and Giles continued, "none of us are familiar enough with that spell, and besides, I saw the spell you are talking about, and the Men of Letters' notes said that no one in history has ever had the power to cast it. Even you may not be able to do so. Not without more research and even more time." Willow frowned, but nodded.

"Would I have enough power to cast it? Can she borrow it?" Jack suggested. "Is… is that possible?"

Willow's eyes widened, almost in fear, and she quickly shook her head, "Bad idea. If we were to even try something like that, I think things would get a little… explodey."

"I agree," Cas said. "I think we will just have to use the time we have, and hope it's enough."

XXXX

That afternoon, the assembled group was standing in a circle in a large abandoned wheat field. They were near the farm that they'd found Cas in after Michael had kidnapped him. Dean, Sam, Mary, Buffy, Faith, and Willow were on the edges of a large magical dome that Willow had created, keeping them and their magic in and everything else out.

Giles, Cas, and Jack were standing in the middle of the dome. Giles had brought a few books with him, most from his own collection, but one or two from the Men of Letters' volumes. He had all but 1 stacked in a pile just outside the dome near Willow ("for their protection," – the books, not the people). The last book he was holding open before him, occasionally referencing it. Dean had no idea what he intended to do.

There had been a brief argument on the way here that maybe they should be focusing on Jack's physical abilities first (Dean, Faith, and Mary had all thought this), but it had been pointed out that everything about Jack, including his strength, came from a place of mental capacity. Dean wasn't even really sure if they all needed to be here, especially those of them with no magical or supernatural abilities – like him. But even if he wasn't needed, he wanted to be here to support Jack. The kid needed it.

The magical dome they were standing in was close to 100 yards in diameter, and there was a slight shimmering in the air that allowed them to see it. Willow said that the shimmering wasn't truly necessary, but it would help them know where the boundaries were, so she'd added it to the spell. Outside of the dome, no one would be able to see the shimmering or them.

Cas and Giles were giving Jack some explanations into their thought processes for training.

"A Nephilim gets his power from the grace he contains within his human body. He has super human intelligence and mental capacities, which enable him to have physical and supernatural abilities as well. You should have all the strength, speed, and power of your angelic parent – in this case, an Archangel – plus more. Angels and Archangels are often limited by the human vessels that they are forced to inhabit on this plane. However, you have your own body, thanks to your human mother, so you are not limited by this," Giles said.

Cas was nodding at Giles' words and Jack was staring at the old watcher, clearly trying to absorb every word.

"From what I've been told by Castiel and the Winchesters," Giles went on, "you've already displayed great abilities, but it's clear they've only manifested during times of great stress for you. This, unfortunately, resulted in some tragic circumstances."

"I killed someone," Jack said quietly and regretfully. Dean wasn't sure if it was part of the dome's magic or just a trick of acoustics, but despite Jack's soft voice, everyone could hear him clearly. Buffy looked sadly at the boy. Faith looked at him with understanding. She clearly knew the guilt that was eating at him.

"That was an accident," Cas said, trying to console Jack.

"An accident that we will be trying to prevent in the future by training you," Giles said.

"As Mr. Giles explained," Cas continued, "Your power comes from your mind. So that's where we're going to start. Training your mind. Memories, senses, focus."

"We will start simple," Giles added. "And as you progress, the training will become more intricate. We will start by seeing if you can simply sense those around you. As a Nephilim, you should be able to sense another angel fairly easily, so let's start there." Giles reached into a pocket and pulled out a blindfold. Jack looked nervous, but he consented to have his eyes covered.

"Castiel will now move around the dome. You know him well. You should be able to reach out and feel his essence – his grace," Giles said. With that, Cas began to quietly move around Jack. Dean would have expected his footfalls to make noise, considering the dead plants they were standing on, but Dean heard nothing. Vaguely, he wondered if Willow had done something to his feet or if Cas was just naturally that stealthy.

Jack stood unmoving, clearly trying to focus, but he made no indication that he could sense Cas. His face was starting to turn red, indicating that he might have been straining himself. This made Dean slightly nervous, worried about a sudden outburst of power like they'd seen in the past. Jack grunted, moving to take off the blindfold, "This isn't working!"

"Don't remove the blindfold," Mary said. Jack paused before he'd managed to take it off. "Focus, Jack," she said. "You can do this. Think about Cas. Think about who he is and your connection to him. You know him well, try to think about that."

"Calm your breathing," Giles suggested. "Stop straining and try to relax. Expand your mind and focus on your breathing. Think about what makes Castiel who he is. Breath in and out." Jack lowered his arms, unclenching his fists. Giles started to guide him through breathing exercises and Jack visibly relaxed. "Try not to think too much," Giles continued when Jack was breathing slowly and calmly. "Let your senses wander, expanding outward. You can find him."

Castiel had continued moving throughout this, watching Jack closely. He hadn't moved throughout the breathing exercises. And then slowly, Jack turned, and pointed directly at Cas. Buffy, Dean, Sam, and Mary all broke out into applause. Faith and Giles were both grinning at the boy and Cas looked proud. Jack raised the blindfold, as though to make sure that he'd gotten it right.

"Very good, Jack," Giles said. "Most impressive."

They repeated the exercise two more times, this time spinning Jack around first, to disorient him like they were playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." He located Cas within less than 2 minutes on his second attempt, and within seconds on the third.

He raised the blindfold off his head again, looking pleased with himself, and Dean could help but be proud and happy for the kid. He'd gotten that quickly. Jack said, "I can feel him now. Even right now, it's like there's something warm surrounding him – something bright. I don't know how I never noticed it before."

"Your mother would be very proud of you right now, Jack," Cas said. This caused Jack to smile in a sad way.

"OK," Giles said. "I think we can move on from here."

Giles brought Willow into the center, on the opposite side of Jack from Cas. They replaced the blindfold, and much to the Winchester's surprise, Willow rose into the air. She really could fly! It was incredible to watch her gracefully move through the air, hovering 10 feet above the ground from where she'd been standing. Cas began to move around the dome again, and Willow began to move too. Her jacket rippled slightly as she moved and her hair streamed around her, but she wasn't moving quickly. Ironically, Dean thought she looked like what angels were supposed to look like – graceful, soft, pure. Dean had to admit that she was beautiful.

Giles directed Jack to try to keep the sense of Cas in the back of his mind while he tried to find Willow this time. He explained that it might be a bit harder, as he didn't know her very well, but as the most powerful magic user in the group, she would be the easiest to sense for Jack after Cas. Again, Giles guided Jack through breathing exercises while Cas moved and Willow flew around. Jack seemed to be trying to concentrate, without straining himself. It took him several minutes before he tilted his head, looking thoughtful.

"There's something," Jack started, but then he looked confused. Slowly, he raised his arm and pointed directly over Giles' head, straight at Willow. "there," he finished.

"And Castiel?" Giles prompted. Jack raised his other arm and pointed to his left, right at Cas. Jack still looked confused, and he took off his blindfold looking to where he was pointing at Willow.

"You can fly?" he asked, sounding awed. Willow smiled, nodded, and floated over to Jack, lowering down until she was standing again.

"Nice work," she said cheerfully.

They did this practice a few more times, until once again, Jack was able to find both Willow and Cas within seconds. They added Buffy into the mix to see if he could sense a slayer. This took Jack a bit longer to do than the other two, but eventually, he managed to master this too. Once he'd found the key to finding Buffy, he was able to find Faith easily.

After only three hours of practicing, Jack was able to point to every person in the group: angel, witch, slayer, and human alike and name who they were. He said that every person had a different feeling about them, which helped him identify them – especially the humans. He was surprised at how differently each human felt from each other.

Everyone was very pleased with the progress that he'd made in such a short time and Giles and Cas explained that mastering his senses was the first step to mastering his abilities. Giles had one more idea that he wanted to try, at least for today, before they called an end to it. He didn't want to overdo the training with Jack, as that could cause just as much harm as good. He knew they were limited in time, but he didn't want to put Jack, or any of them, at risk by rushing too much. Dean marveled at Giles' teaching abilities, and suddenly he understood the deep connection between the old watcher and Buffy. He'd been her teacher for over 20 years. She'd probably practiced a lot of these techniques with him herself.

Giles explained that being able to know what was around you was important, but that it was only the first step. One had to be able to use these abilities even when distracted. So, they proceeded as before, but this time, Giles began reading passages out of one of the books he'd brought with him. And he told Jack that he needed to memorize the passages and recite them back while still being able to locate those around him. Giles would be mid-passage, when he would suddenly say "Faith!" and Jack would have to point to her. Jack would be reciting the passage back when Giles would interrupt with "Sam!" and Jack would have to find him. This seemed to strain Jack slightly, but eventually he got the hang of this too.

At the end, Giles asked Jack to recite back all the passages he'd memorized and then find every person in the group. Jack did it flawlessly, and everyone applauded. Dean was very proud of the kid. He wouldn't have been able to do it – Nephilim or not. Jack took his blindfold off for a final time, and saw all the proud and smiling faces looking back at him. He looked extremely pleased and he expressed his gratitude to everyone, saying that he wouldn't have been able to do it without them.

"You have no idea how much your support and encouragement means to me," he said.

Maybe Jack really could defeat the devil. If they all worked together, they just might be able to win the coming battle.

* * *

 **A/N:** Unfortunately, due to the summer months and my schedule, I may not be able to post every week going forward. I will try my best to keep up with my regular Monday postings, but I don't know if I'll be able to manage. But I promise that I will get at least 1 chapter up every other week.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
Lebanon, KS  
Men of Letters Bunker

The next day, Buffy awoke feeling tired, but hopeful. Jack had done extremely well in their training the day before. She rolled over and wished she could go back to bed, never having been much of a morning person. But her phone was adamantly informing her that if she wanted a shower, breakfast, or coffee before they started for the day, she had to get up now. She grunted and shut off her phone, thinking that she could probably get away with snoozing another 9 minutes. She shooed the thought away and grudgingly sat up.

She looked around at the small room that had become home in the last few weeks. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, and she was momentarily surprised at how much this room was beginning to look like her bedroom back in Cleveland. She'd unpacked her clothing into the dresser and a few of her more choice weapons were sitting on the desk. A bathrobe that she'd found in the wardrobe had quickly become familiar to her and she put it on over her PJ's before leaving the room, heading toward the bathroom for a shower. She could smell bacon and coffee coming from the kitchen, which perked her up, inspiring her to move a little faster.

After she'd showered and dressed, she found herself in the kitchen. Sam and Willow were already there, eating breakfast, and sitting in what appeared to be a comfortable silence. Buffy marveled at how comfortable they'd all become around each other. Except for her and Dean, of course. They hadn't really said much to each other since their sparring match in the gym two nights ago. And she was sure he was avoiding her.

This confused her more than anything. Dean had never exactly been shy, but now he wasn't even meeting her eyes. Not that she was making a very strong effort to do so herself. In fact, she'd been avoiding him as much as he'd been avoiding her. Could it be possible that he was… ashamed of what he'd said? Could Dean even _be_ ashamed? Was he capable of that?

Dean was an enigma, she found herself thinking again. He acted like the stereotypical, misogynistic male hunter that she'd become so accustomed with over the years. But that was a front, Buffy was certain of that. He had a depth that he hid from everyone, and Buffy suddenly wondered if he'd said what he'd said in order to throw her off balance. Or maybe to break the connection that she'd felt. Because she'd definitely felt something. Something she really, _really_ didn't want to admit to anyone.

Not that anyone seemed to be fooled. Both Faith and Willow had now asked what was going on between her and Dean. And she found herself, once again, trying to convince the others that there wasn't _anything_ going on. And then there was Sam. Sam had given the two of them very significant looks, though he'd been polite enough not to say anything. Not to her, anyway.

Buffy saw a large plate of bacon on the counter, with an even larger plate of pancakes sitting next to it. Someone had cooked? Who the hell had done that? She posed the question to Willow and Sam, who informed her that, apparently, Mary had been teaching Jack how to cook this morning. Huh… Neat.

Buffy made herself a plate of pancakes and bacon and poured herself a cup of coffee. She sat down next to Willow and began to eat. She briefly looked around to see if there was any syrup, when a bottle was promptly pushed into her hand by Sam. She looked up, and he smiled at her and nodded his head. She nodded back in thanks and went on eating.

Dean came in a short time later with wet hair and a sour looking expression. He didn't seem to see any of them as he poured himself some coffee. He grabbed a handful of bacon and began to chow down on it.

"Good morning, sunshine," Sam said to him, watching his brother. Dean just grunted in response, still not looking at any of them. Both Willow and Sam looked at her with matching expressions, as though she knew what was wrong with him. She just shrugged and finished her breakfast, licking the bacon grease from her fingers. Willow stood up at the same time that she did and they both quickly went over to the sink and washed their dishes before heading for the library.

As they walked, Willow said, "Still nothing with Dean, huh?"

Buffy stopped, forcing Willow to stop with her. She spoke quietly but firmly, "OK. I'm going to make this as clear as I can. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing, going on between Dean and I."

"Dean and me," Willow corrected her, smiling.

Buffy glared at her, "Pass the message on to Faith too, would you?"

"Sure, Buff," Willow said patronizingly. Buffy continued to scowl but didn't rise to the bait. She turned and went straight into the library, the infuriating red-head chuckling in her wake.

Giles, Jack, Cas, and Mary were already waiting for them. Mary and Giles were apparently reminiscing about some monster that they took out in the 70s. Jack and Cas were listening interestedly and Mary was laughing. Giles looked significantly younger when he smiled and right now, he looked like the man she'd met in the Sunnydale High School library so long ago. It made Buffy smile too to see him like that.

It wasn't long before they were joined by Faith, Sam, and Dean. Dean was still holding a cup of coffee, and looked like he hadn't slept well. He still wouldn't look at her. Buffy wasn't sure what to make of the situation, so she decided to ignore it and focus on helping with Jack's training. Which, of course, is where her focus should have been anyway.

When everyone was together, they quickly reviewed what the plan was for today. Sam and Dean were sent out to do a little shopping and would meet them at the field later. They all piled into Giles' and Mary's cars, going to the same field they'd occupied the day before. Willow quickly put up her protection spell and they started by reviewing what they'd done the day before.

Jack briefly protested this idea, but Giles was adamant and Cas and Willow agreed that it was a good idea to make sure that he still had everything down from what he'd learned. He proved very quickly that he was, in fact, ready to move on.

Giles spent the next half an hour explaining (once again) the plan for the day. Buffy strongly suspected that he was doing this because Sam and Dean hadn't arrived yet, and they needed them for the next phase, which involved Jack's potential at using telekinesis.

Finally, the Winchester brothers arrived, looking a little lost when they got out of the Impala. Then Buffy realized that they couldn't see her and the others. Willow quickly lowered her spell, and they came over, each carrying a large bag, with a logo from a local toy store. Tossing the bags aside, Sam and Dean pulled out several foam balls, bats, swords and shields, as well as multiple nerf guns. This whole thing struck Buffy has slightly ridiculous, but it had been the safest solution.

If Jack was going to be moving objects around with his mind, this was by far the best option. As with the previous day, Jack was blindfolded, and Dean, Sam, Buffy, and Faith were each given a foam sword or bat. The others stepped to the edge of the dome, and the four of them each stepped up toward Jack. Feeling a bit silly, they started moving around each other and taking turns to swing at Jack.

For the first few minutes, Jack just stood there, flinching slightly every time he got hit. They weren't hurting him, but he was getting frustrated. Giles was instructing Jack on what to focus on but clearly it wasn't working. Finally, Willow put a hand on Giles' shoulder and took over.

"Stop trying to focus on the objects, Jack," she said. Faith swung her sword, hitting Jack in the back of his knee. He grunted, his knee instinctually bending slightly. The sword bent more, and Faith stepped back, straightening it. Willow continued, "You've proven that you can still sense those around you. Try to focus on the person closest to you, and then see if you can recognize how they are moving. Extend your senses from their arms and into the objects that they're holding."

Sam stepped up to take a swing, lifting his bat like he was playing baseball.

"All objects have a unique essence, just like people. When you find the object, separate it in your mind from the person holding it. And then stop it from moving."

Sam swung, but the bat didn't move. He hadn't had a good grip on it, and the bat stayed in the air, motionless, his hands slipping off of it as he moved. Everyone stopped to watch. And then the bat swung on its own and hit Sam in the arm.

Faith, Dean, and Buffy all laughed. Mary and Willow broke into applause. Giles and Cas each offered their congratulations to Jack. Sam scowled and said, "I don't think hitting me was really necessary."

"I completely disagree, Sammy," Dean said, grinning. Jack raised his blindfold and looked at Sam and Dean who were standing near each other in front of him. "Jack, you hit Sam with a baseball bat as often as you'd like."

The bat, which was still floating in the air, abruptly moved and swung at Dean's head. Dean had just enough time to duck before it hit him. "Hey!" Dean shouted. Everyone laughed this time, except Cas, who didn't seem to understand the humor in the situation.

"Let's continue," Giles said, still smiling. Jack lowered his blindfold, and they started again. Jack struggled a little when the four of them increased their speed and frequency of attacks, but it wasn't long before Jack was able to control all the objects they held at once. When all four of them had attacked at the same time, and Jack responded by pulling the swords and bats out of their hands and floating them over their heads in a threatening way, they stopped.

"Good work, Jack," Cas said.

They moved on to the next phase of the training plan, with Sam, Dean, and Mary each taking up a nerf gun. Buffy and Faith retreated to the edge of the dome. The three Winchesters moved about 10 yards away from Jack and began to fire at him. He struggled a bit with the objects flying on their own, but he quickly was able to deflect the darts and balls being shot at him. Willow then began separating them onto teams. Faith (who still held a foam sword) and Dean were Jack's "allies," while Sam and Mary were his "enemies."

Dean and Faith began moving as a team, protecting and working with the blindfolded Jack, while Sam and Mary moved as though attacking. They fired at the opposite team, and it was Jack's job to deflect the projectiles from not only himself but his team mates. This meant that Jack had to be able to tell who everyone was, identifying friend from foe, and move the flying objects away from his team and back toward the enemy.

A wicked nerf battle ensued and before Buffy knew what was happening, the other's around the edge joined sides and began to fight with the remaining toys. Buffy joined Dean and Faith, while Giles and Willow joined the enemy. Willow didn't bother with a toy, instead rising into the air and lifting the fallen darts and balls with her own powers, launching them at Jack, Dean, Faith, and Buffy. Giles had apparently decided to dual wield a pair of foam swords and was attacking Dean. Mary had continued firing at Jack from afar, and Sam, who'd run out of ammo, had grabbed a bat and was in a faux duel with Faith. Willow started resupplying Mary with fallen projectiles.

The whole thing was ridiculous, but Buffy found that she was having fun. She came to Dean's defense, kicking ammo to him so he could resupply, while she took up the fight with Giles. Her bat was a thicker foam than the swords he was using, and he started to struggle when his weapons were completely bent out of shape. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack moving occasionally, mostly to get out of the way of a flying ball or dart. He was grinning under his blindfold, and was focused on Willow in the air. The projectiles that she launched at him were quickly deflected toward her own team. Willow blinked, surprised and slightly cross-eyed, when a dart caught her between the eyes and stuck there. Everyone who saw it, as well as Jack, laughed.

Giles, however, had used Buffy's momentary distraction to knock the bat out of her hands, attacking again with his bent swords. Around her, people were both concentrating and grinning. Laughter occasionally ringing out in the dome.

After about 30 minutes of an all-out nerf battle, the other team's weapons were suddenly ripped from their hands and dropped at the feet of Jack, Dean, Buffy, and Faith. Willow lowered herself to the ground next to her teammates, who'd all been pushed backward away from Jack's allies. The four victors cheered and clapped Jack in the back while Mary, Willow, Giles, and Sam admitted defeat. Giles bowed formally, though he was grinning in an amused way. She'd never seen him like that. It was refreshing to see him acting almost immaturely.

Then Buffy realized that Cas had never joined the fight. He had been standing at the edge of the dome, with a very confused look on his face.

"I'm not sure what just happened, but I thought it might be rude to interrupt," he said, when she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Human nature," Mary said. When Cas continued to look confused, she shrugged and added, "it was fun."

The humans all laughed, congratulations going to Jack again for his esteemed and well deserved victory.

"You have grown, and learned much, young Skywalker," Dean said. Jack looked confused and Dean promised to show him Star Wars later.

They practiced a bit more, letting Willow and Jack go one-on-one for a while, each attempting to gain control over the same object. They were fairly well matched, but eventually Jack got the upper hand and was able to get complete control over any and all objects they were competing over. Willow actually looked frustrated when she started to lose, though she took it well. It was obvious, even to Willow, that Jack was more powerful than she was – a feeling that Buffy was sure the red-head wasn't used to.

The training today had only lasted into the early afternoon, but they were all tired and feeling good when they decided to call an end to the training. Giles and Cas were both very pleased with Jack's progress and were already discussing how to proceed the following day.

When they got back to the bunker, Faith announced that while the "battle" had been fun, it hadn't been very hard. She wanted to get in some real exercise, and was going to the gym. That's when she grabbed Jack and declared that it was time he learn how to fight. For real. Mary followed them, looking concerned, though Buffy wasn't sure if she was worried about Faith's safety or Jack's. Possibly both.

Sam had gone shopping the night before but, apparently, he hadn't gotten some of the essentials, so Dean said that he was going on a beer and pie run. Sam rolled his eyes at his brother but didn't say anything. Willow, Giles, and Cas went to the library to continue their plans for training Jack. Though Buffy suspected that Giles and Willow wanted to continue perusing the Men of Letters' collection. Sam went off to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich.

Buffy pulled out her phone, deciding that it'd been too long since she'd talked to her sister. She hadn't even called when they got back from Earth 2, which was a tremendous oversight. There was too much going on, she told herself. Fortunately, Giles had called HQ to keep them updated when they'd arrived back home.

When Dawn answered the phone, she was glad to hear from her, and told her all about Xander and Annie's wedding plans. Dawn had been asked to be a bridesmaid and had been helping them plan. Aaron missed his auntie and wanted to know when she was coming home. Buffy explained the situation and that she was going to be sticking around here until it was done.

Dawn listened carefully and asked if they needed any help. Buffy told her to stay there and be with her family. They had enough firepower here. Then she gave Dawn the same excuse she'd given Angel all those years ago before their battle with the First. That they'd need a second front if they failed. And Dawn, Xander, and Andrew would need to rally the girls to fight the Devil if it came to that.

Buffy didn't mention that if Jack failed, she wasn't sure how the young slayers would ever beat him, no matter how many of them there were. Not when you add on the forces of both heaven and hell on top of Lucifer.

Dawn asked about how Faith was doing being home. The news that she was alive and well, and back, had flown through the Franklin Castle. Apparently, Andrew had cried in relief and joy. Buffy told her that Faith hadn't changed much, and even mentioned that Faith had already been with Sam. Dawn laughed at that, saying that even 5 years in an apocalypse couldn't change that woman.

When Buffy hung up with her sister, she decided that Sam had had the right idea. She was hungry and a sandwich sounded good. She found Sam in the kitchen, the supplies for his (extremely) large sandwich still on the counter. She made herself a smaller version of the Ham, Turkey, and Cheese that he made, except she grabbed some of the leftover bacon from the fridge and added that too. Sam nodded his head in approval and she joined him at the table after grabbing a bottle of water.

They ate in silence for a little while, Sam pulling out a tablet and reading through some article or other as he ate. Buffy thought about the conversation she'd had with Faith the day before about her little rendezvous with the younger and taller Winchester. Faith had been unnecessarily explicit in her details, causing Buffy to blush just remembering.

And then she remembered what Faith had said that made her shout, drawing the attention of everyone in the library. Faith had asked a rather suggestive and very blunt question about Buffy and Dean. Buffy had been so surprised (they'd been talking about Sam and Faith after all), that she didn't even answer the question. Once again, Buffy found herself asking why everyone was so interested in if her and Dean would hook up.

Given the state of things at this point, they wouldn't, of course. She didn't really have feelings for him anyway. Even as she thought it, she knew she was lying to herself. His last statement notwithstanding, Dean made her feel something that she hadn't felt since Spike. It was more than lust, and she knew it. They all knew it. But what did Dean know? What did Dean feel? Why did he have to be such a… _man_ about this?

Buffy sighed, chewing her sandwich. Despite her confusion surrounding Dean, Buffy was really happy being here. Far more happy than she'd been in Cleveland in many years. A part of her wanted to stay even after all this was over. But that was undoubtedly out of the question. The Winchesters wouldn't want her here, and her life, family, and job were all in Cleveland.

Not that she had much of a life. And her family had their own families. And as for her job… did she really miss the Cleveland Counseling Agency? She missed Dr. Gates and some of her coworkers, but not enough to inspire her to return.

No. She was being ridiculous. Of course, she wanted to return. Her life with the Winchesters and in the bunker was just a pit-stop. A notable chapter of her later slayer years. Cleveland was home.

"You OK, Buffy?" Sam asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up, not having really heard him. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were OK. You're not usually this quiet."

"Oh. Yeah, sorry. Just thinking," she said evasively. She took a bite of her sandwich. Bacon was a good choice to add to it. She swallowed and then looked carefully at Sam who was still watching her, half a sandwich still on his plate and a water bottle in his hand. "Actually," she hesitated. "Can I tell you something?"

He looked slightly surprised, but nodded anyway.

"Being here, helping you guys, it's different from what I was expecting," she started.

"Different, how?" Sam asked.

"I mean, I knew I was going to be helping you fight angels and things. And I knew it was going to be weird. Weird even for me, since I've never dealt with them before, but I keep being surprised by how…" she paused looking for the right words.

"Comfortable you feel?" Sam guessed. She nodded.

"Willow and I, and even Faith," she stopped and blinked, realizing her words and who she was talking to.

"It's OK. I'm a big boy." _Yeah, so I've heard_... she blushed and tried to pretend the thought hadn't hit her. "Go on," he prompted her, grinning.

"Right… Sorry. Well, we all just seem to have adjusted to being here so easily. I – we – seem to fit. It's comfortable, and I wasn't expecting it. And for me, this is the first time in years that I've felt like I was part of a team. Don't tell Will or Giles this," she added the last bit quickly, lowering her voice nervously. Why was she telling him all this? She'd only known him for about a month, yet she felt like she'd known him for years. While it was true that her connection with Dean was something intense (and confusing), she felt _comfortable_ with Sam. He'd guessed the perfect word for her.

"Of course not," he said conspiratorially. He grinned again. "And I get it. You seem to fit in here, you all do. Even Giles and my mom are old friends. Bizarre as that is… He's seemed happier with her here – more at ease."

"I know, it's so weird," Buffy agreed. "He's acting… young. Like the way he jumped into the battle today. I've never seen him do anything like that. Except twice, once when he got waaaay too into Halloween, and once about 10 years ago when he went a little overboard for Cinco De Mayo – long story."

Sam laughed. He was so different from his brother – calm, thoughtful, open-minded. And yet, at the same time, they were so much alike – easy to laugh, fierce, strong, loyal. "So," he started, when his laughter faded, "why do you think it's so weird that you fit in around here? We have a lot in common. Saving the world and all that."

She hesitated, trying to put what she was feeling into words. "I think… maybe because you and Dean might understand me better than most."

"Because we were chosen? Like you and Faith, and the other slayers."

 _You intuitive son-of-a-bitch_ , she thought, slightly amused. She nodded, "Faith gets it, mostly, but I don't think the other slayers do. They've always had other slayers to identify with. And on top of that… It's almost like they fear me – so annoying. But me and Faith – we were alone even when we were working together back in Sunnydale. We didn't exactly get along very well – Faith had some serious issues – so even though there were two of us, I was still alone. I had my friends, and my mom and Dawn, of course, but they never really understood me. Didn't understand what it was like to have the fate of the world on your shoulders, and to know that you were the only one holding back the darkness."

Sam looked thoughtful, but she was certain that he was understanding her.

"But you and Dean. You understand it, don't you?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "We do. And I'm not sure that the other slayers fear you… I saw the way they looked at you – it wasn't fear. It was _reverence_."

"That's almost worse," Buffy muttered.

"Maybe," Sam admitted. "But I think you've earned it. And just so you know, in regards to me and Dean, we haven't always been close. We've often been alone too. There was a long time there when we were only together because we were brothers – not because we wanted to be. There's been a lot of fights, and a lot of mistakes over the years."

"I was curious," she said pensively. "where were you, when Dean and your dad were in Cleveland 14 years ago? Were you on another case?"

"Actually," he said, sitting back, folding his arms defensively, "I was at Stanford. Pre-law."

"Seriously? You went to college?" For Buffy, this news was more surprising than their mother dying and coming back to life 30 years later. While it was true that many of the slayers these days had college degrees and could focus on their studies, it was not a possibility that Buffy had ever considered for the Winchester Brothers.

He laughed, almost sadly. "Yeah, ran away from my dad and went to school. I didn't want to be a hunter."

"Obviously you've changed your mind," Buffy commented.

"Well…." he paused thinking, "it took a while for me to accept that this was just my life."

And then Sam told her a story. An incredible story about him and his brother. And their life on the road after Sam's college girlfriend was killed by the same demon that killed their mother. He told her about the yellow-eyed demon that they, along with their father, were determined to kill. And how Sam had psychic powers for several years. He told her how their father had died to save Dean. How Dean went to hell to save Sam. How he came back and they met Cas. How Lucifer rose the first time, due to Sam's mistake and mistrust of his brother. He told her of the others that had been part of their family over the years: Bobby, Kevin, and a girl named Charlie, all of whom they'd lost. He told her of Rowena's son Crowley, and there tenuous relationship with him.

Buffy knew some of the story, from the previous conversations she'd had with the boys, but the rest was mostly news to her. Sam wove her a tale of the supernatural, of horror, tragedy, death, resurrection, and throughout it all, the Winchester brothers. How they fought and didn't get along, and barely trusted each other for years after they defeated Lucifer and Sam came back from hell without his soul.

It made the distance between her and the other Scoobies seem minor in comparison. Except for the year after she was resurrected, when Willow went Dark, the Winchesters' story made Buffy's seem almost easy. She'd had an army at her command for over a decade. Sam and Dean had been alone except for each other their entire lives. And even then, they often fought.

It was amazing that after all they'd been through that they were as close as they were. It was clearly something that they'd worked hard to rebuild. And then they added Cas to their family. And then Mary was resurrected. And Jack was born.

And then Buffy realized why Dean acted the way he did. Why he didn't want to get close to her. Why he'd stopped even looking at her. He'd lost so many people that he'd loved. And he was afraid that if he let himself get close to her that he would lose her too. He cared about her, and that terrified him.

"What you have to understand about Dean," Sam said as he finished his stories, as though reading her thoughts, "is that he would do anything for those he considers family. He's spent his entire life playing the big brother, trying to protect me."

And then a voice came from the hallway, "It's not that I'm always trying to protect you, Sammy. It's more that your ass just always seems to be in the fire, and has to be pulled out."

Sam's eyes shot to the door and Buffy turned to see Dean walking in with a paper bag in each arm. He was smiling in a mocking way. He put the bags on the counter, pulling out a pie and 2 six-packs. He handed a beer to Sam, who promptly opened it, offering his thanks to his brother, and took a sip. Then Dean pulled out a Mike's Hard Strawberry Lemonade and handed it to Buffy.

"For the Princess," he said, a hint of his old teasing back in his voice. She wasn't about to admit it, but this was usually her beverage of choice when she bought any alcohol for herself. Buffy wanted to scowl, but found that she couldn't. He still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Thanks," she said quietly. Sam watched the exchange with thoughtful eyes, but didn't say anything, for which Buffy was grateful.

Dean sat down, a beer in one hand and the entire pie and a fork in the other. Buffy raised her eyebrows at this and watched as he proceeded to eat right from the pie plate.

He noticed her expression, and simply shrugged, "I'm hungry." Then he looked at his brother. "What rumors have you been spreading about me, Sammy?" he asked, taking a disgustingly large bite of what turned out to be blueberry pie.

Buffy caught a twinkle in Sam's eye right before he said, "I was just telling her about the time you were abducted by fairies."

Buffy nearly spit out the Strawberry Lemonade she'd just taken a drink of. Instead, she choked it down, saying, "Fairies?!"

"Oh yeah," Sam grinned at her. "He got into a fight with one, and insists that he killed it by trapping it in a microwave and turning it on."

"Hey," Dean said, mouth still full of pie. "That naked bitch was stronger than she looked." Buffy burst out laughing. Finally, Dean looked at her, and he smiled genuinely, once he swallowed his mouthful, of course. "Do I need to tell her about the time you got hit in the balls on a Japanese game show?"

"What?" Buffy chuckled. "Seriously?"

"That was all Gabriel," Sam defended. "He thought it would be funny to trap us in TV land."

"He also gave you herpes that day," Dean added.

"Whoa! TMI boys!" Buffy exclaimed.

"He did NOT give me herpes," Sam shot back, glaring at his brother. "He made me do a herpes commercial and you know it."

"But he did turn you into the Impala," Dean amended. Sam narrowed his eyes. Buffy sat back, listening to the brothers, thoroughly enjoying the bickering. She took a sip of her drink again.

"How about the time you ran away, screaming, from a yorkie?" Sam asked. "And you informed me that a cat jumping out of a locker was 'scary?'" He said the last word like something a child would say after being on a haunted hayride.

"Remember when an Irish warlock gave you the Clap!" Dean reminded his brother.

"Are mystical STDs really that common a thing for you boys?" Buffy interrupted, still laughing.

"No, just for Sam," Dean grinned evilly.

"Yeah, you get the real ones," Sam said. Buffy's entire face elongated as her eyebrows shot up, eyes widened, and mouth fell open.

"Oh! Too far, Sammy," Dean growled. "I'll have you both know that I'm perfectly clean!" Sam and Buffy both snickered. "You wanna talk about those fairies, Sam? OK – let's talk about those fairies. Let's tell Buffy about how I had been kidnapped by them and taken to another dimension, while you, my loyal brother, were boning a hippie chick."

"I had no soul," Sam pointed out. "At least I never fell off a ladder into a vat of Jell-O and drowned!"

Dean blinked in surprise and confusion, looking at his brother. Buffy looked at him sideways too. He drowned in Jell-O? _That's one way to go…_ Buffy thought idly. Obviously, Sam must have meant " _nearly_ drowned." There's no way that would have actually killed Dean. Then again…

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean asked. "That never happened."

"Not that you remember…" Sam said, eyes narrowing, his own evil grin forming. "There are a lot of things about the Mystery Spot I never told you."

Dean looked at his brother, a curious expression on his face, and then he burst out laughing. Sam and Buffy joined him a minute later. The ridiculous stories behind all these jabs must have been amazing. Buffy found herself really wanting to hear more about these particular stories. But she was too busy laughing at the brothers to ask. And the Winchesters were laughing just as hard as she was. And the harder any one of them laughed, the harder the other two laughed.

Buffy had tears running down her face as she gasped and struggled to catch her breath. At that moment, Jack, Mary, and Faith walked into the kitchen and stopped when they saw the three of them.

"What the hell?" Faith asked. But the brothers and Buffy just hooted even louder at their surprised, confused, and amused faces. Jack and Mary started laughing at them, while Faith just raised her eyebrows, grinning.

After another minute, they started to calm down, the laughter dying slightly. Dean managed to get himself under control first, a smile on his face. "Bitch," he said to his brother.

Sam chuckled once, smiled, and responded, "Jerk."

Buffy laughed through her nose, unable to rid herself of the smile on her face. Finally, she relaxed enough that thought she could take a sip of her drink without spitting it out. She did so, carefully.

Sam and Dean shook their heads and each other, and Dean took up his fork again, digging back into his pie. His mother, seeing this, scowled, and grabbed two plates, a fork, and a knife. She took the pie plate away from her son, who promptly said, "Hey!" with a mouthful of blueberries. Sam and Buffy laughed again, Buffy feeling slightly giddy from the whole situation.

Mary cut herself a piece of pie, putting it on one of the plates. Then she asked if anyone else would like a piece before she cut a large piece off of the section Dean had been eating from, plated it, and handed that back to Dean instead. He scowled as she put the rest of the pie in the fridge.

"Anyone feel like explaining what the gigglefest was all about?" Faith asked, sitting down with a bottle of water. Jack and Mary also joined them at the table. Faith looked at Sam, who just chuckled and shook his head. "B?" she asked instead, turning to Buffy. She didn't answer either, instead taking another sip of water. "Rocky?"

Everyone blinked as they realized that Faith was addressing Dean. "Rocky?" Sam repeated, eyes lighting up. "Like the squirrel? Has someone been talking about you and Crowley…"

"I hate you," Dean muttered to his brother. "Moose," he added as an afterthought. Sam laughed once, looking almost reminiscent but didn't respond. Buffy blinked in surprise. _Moose?_ Then she considered Sam… it did fit.

The others all made themselves some food, mostly sandwiches, while they all talked. It was comfortable and relaxing and she was feeling even more at home than before. She liked these people and she understood them. And they understood her. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

As she went to bed that night, she smiled to herself, pleased with the way the day had gone. Things seemed to be getting better between her and Dean. They hadn't avoided each other's gazes and were talking easily again.

She was just turning out the light when a knock came at her door. She turned the light back on and called that it was open. The knob turned and the door slowly opened, revealing Dean. He was still dressed for the day, and he was looking uncomfortable. She looked at him curiously.

"Can I come in?" he asked, in a voice that was far more vulnerable than she'd ever heard from him. She considered him for a moment and he added, "Just for a sec, I promise." There was no tease or suggestion in his voice and she nodded. He came in and closed the door behind him, but he didn't move any further. He was looking at her feet instead of at her.

"I wanted to apologize," he said, sounding almost nervous. Buffy felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise and he continued. "for what I said the other night. It was a dick move, and I'm sorry." Finally, his eyes rose and met hers. There was a resolve in that look. He thought she wouldn't forgive him, and he was prepared for it.

"It's OK, Dean," she said, meeting his gaze. "I know why you did it." _I think_.

It was his turn to look surprised, "You do? Could you maybe let me in on it?"

She raised one corner of her mouth in a half-grain. "Maybe when you're older," she teased. He laughed softly and then nodded.

"OK, well. That was it. Goodnight, Buffy," he said. He turned, grasping the doorknob.

"Goodnight, Dean."

Buffy slept really well that night.

XXXX

The next day, they had a bit of a sleep in. It was raining hard that morning, and none of them were very interested in leaving super early in the morning, which Buffy was grateful for. After lunch, which was basically breakfast for Buffy since she slept so well and so late, they headed over to the field they'd been using. It was still raining, but not nearly as hard, and Willow was able to stop the rain from soaking them with the dome of magic she erected.

As with the previous day, they reviewed what Jack had already done, confirming he was ready to move on to the next stage. It had been decided that they wanted to see if Jack could teleport himself at will, like the angels could do before The Fall.

Since Jack had a complete set of wings, they'd decided it was time he try to use them. Cas spent almost an hour trying to explain to Jack what it felt like to move instantaneously from one place to another, while Jack tried to make something happen. They didn't bother blindfolding him this time. Everyone else was on the edge of the dome, as had become normal for those not actively participating in the current stage of training.

It was clear that Jack was becoming increasingly frustrated as he tried to will himself to move and nothing happened. Thanks to Willow's dome, the grass had dried, and several of them, including Buffy, Mary, and Dean, had sat down on the grass to watch and wait. Cas had asked them all to be quiet while he talked Jack through teleporting for a third time. Jack's face was bright red, in concentration or frustration, Buffy couldn't tell.

Finally, Willow suggested trying to teach him to fly first. Angel's didn't typically do this; there was no point when they could just disappear and reappear at will. She thought that if he could handle that as a first step, in learning to use his wings, it might help. Cas agreed, and stepped back to let Willow instruct. But she shook her head, saying that her flight was a branch of telekinesis. She couldn't actually will herself to fly; instead she used her powers to make her clothing and shoes fly, carrying her along with them.

Cas, who'd lost his wings years earlier, struggled even more to explain using his wings for flight to Jack. Once again, he was describing it as willing the thing to happen, which was clearly not working as an explanation for the Nephilim.

It had been several hours in the field, and Buffy was growing bored. She'd stopped watching and listening a while ago, after Cas tried to explain his wings once again and Jack turned even more red in frustration. Idly, she started to hum.

"Will you knock that off?!" Jack finally screamed at her in anger. She hadn't even realized she'd been doing it and his outburst took her by surprise. She quickly stopped and apologized, but it was too late.

Something was happening to Jack. His face, still bright red, started to glow, the rest of his body quickly following suit. Sparks were coming off of his fingertips. Buffy, seeing this, quickly stood up in alarm. Most of the others had noticed too and were looking wary.

"Jack, calm down," came Mary's voice. She was walking cautiously toward Jack, hands outstretched.

Suddenly, both Willow and Cas screamed at them all to run outside the edge of the dome. Jack was glowing even brighter, and his face quickly changed from rage to fear as he looked at his sparking fingertips. His eyes were turning into a yellow-orange ring.

"Run!" he screamed at them all. They all took off toward the edge of the dome. When Buffy passed through the barrier, she could no longer see Jack, who was still inside it. Buffy looked around and it appeared that everyone else had made it out… except…

There was a huge burst of light, wind, and energy, and Willow's dome exploded outward. Jack was glowing in its center. Everyone who was already on the outside was simply hit by the wind, and were forced to stumble a few paces. As she blinked through the wind and rain, Buffy caught, out of the corner of her eye, a body flying through the air, landing almost 20 feet beyond the closest person, which was Faith.

Everyone, including Jack (who's glow was starting to fade), ran to the crumpled body on the ground. Shock and fear were on everyone's faces as they slowly and gingerly turned the unmoving body over. Buffy feared the worst. It didn't look good at all.

"Oh God! What have I done?!" Jack cried when he saw the face, blood streaking down from a cut on the forehead, though the rain quickly washed it away. And with that exclamation, Jack finally managed to teleport. He vanished from sight and they had no idea where he went.

Buffy looked fearfully back down at the body. Broken bones were a definite. Head injury and internal bleeding highly likely. Death? Faith gingerly reached down and felt for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at the others.

Mary Winchester was alive, but very broken. And Jack was gone.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
Lebanon, KS  
Abandoned Wheat Field

Dean stared at the unconscious face of his mother in shock. Mary was lying on her back, eyes closed. There was a gash on her forehead that was still bleeding, and her arm was clearly broken in at least 2 places from where she'd hit the ground. The rain was washing the blood away from her face as quickly as it poured out of her. Kneeling close to her, Dean could see her ragged and rasping breaths, her chest barely moving as she took them.

They'd been doing so well in Jack's training up until that point. And now this. Dean was urgently trying to silence the voice in his head that was calling for Jack's blood; screaming that he'd known Jack would cause no good. He pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on his mother. Sam looked frightened and pale as he pushed a strand of wet hair off of Mary's face.

Cas pushed Faith and Willow aside to kneel next to their mother. A look of concentration on his face, he pressed two fingers to her forehead. The cut quickly reknit and the obvious breaks on her arm healed. Her breath came easier, but her eyes remained closed. Cas furrowed his brows and placed his whole palm on her forehead and closed his eyes. There was silence for a minute while they watched him.

"This injury is more than I can repair easily. This will take time to heal, and effort on Mary's part," he said, opening his eyes and removing his hand. He was speaking to Sam and Dean. "I suggest we bring her back to the bunker immediately and let her rest." Sam and Dean both nodded, moving to pick her up, but Willow stopped them.

"Here," she said. She waved a hand, and Mary was raised into the air as though on an invisible gurney. This made Dean extremely uneasy, never having been very comfortable around magic. And trusting the witch to carry his extremely hurt mother, who they'd only just gotten back, made him even more nervous. He was about to say something, to tell her that he and Sam could do it, but Buffy put a hand on his shoulder.

He met her eyes and he saw that she knew what he'd been about to say. She was imploring him to trust the ginger witch. That it would be OK. Dean studied her for a moment, her green eyes boring into his own. He relented and nodded his head. Buffy gave him a half-hearted smile, as though trying to reassure him. It helped a little, but not much.

Mary's floating body moved toward the cars quickly, with everyone else trailing behind. Water flowed off the side of her and dripped from her fingertips. Her arms fell to the sides, spread wide. Willow gently moved Mary into the back of the Impala, Sam and Dean moving her arms to help set her down comfortably, while everyone else got into their respective cars to head back to the bunker. Sam took Mary's car and Cas rode with Dean in Baby to keep an eye on her as they rode. Dean was scared for his mother, but now that he knew she would heal – Cas was certain she would be fine with time – he started to get angry.

Angry at Jack. Angry at Cas, Giles, and Willow for pushing Jack to try this before he was ready. Angry at Buffy for making Jack snap. Angry at himself for letting Jack get out of control. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Until his knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and he was driving faster than he should, leaving the others far behind him. His windshield wipers were squeaking as they streaked back and forth before his eyes, annoying him further.

They arrived to the bunker several minutes before the others, though Cas was able to convince Dean to wait for Willow to move Mary inside. The rain was starting to fall heavier again, and he listened to the sound of the drops hitting the roof of his car while he impatiently waited for everyone else to show up. _God, Sam drives like a little old lady!_ he thought, frustrated and impatient.

Finally, the other two cars pulled up behind him. Dean immediately got out of the car and opened the back door as Willow met him there. She did her thing, Mary gingerly rising into the air again, and he led the way into the bunker. Willow, Dean, Sam, and Cas all continued past the library toward Mary's room, Mary floating like a specter before them. They were all dripping wet, and their shoes squeaked on the tile floor as they walked. When they got there, Willow used a spell to magic most of the water out of Mary's hair and clothes, and gently laid her down on the bed, still unconscious.

"Any idea how long she'll be out?" Sam asked Cas. But it was Willow who answered.

"Her physical injuries are mostly healed. But the mystical aspect of Jack's outburst can't be so easily fixed. Like Cas said, it's going to take a little time. Probably a few days at least," Willow sounded breathy, both certain and uncertain at the same time. She knew that what she was saying was likely true, but maybe she was nervous about telling the brothers. Dean just wanted to make sure that she would make a full recovery.

"But she _will_ be OK?" he asked them. Cas and Willow both nodded. Dean knew his family. She would be on her feet faster than Willow could know; he was certain of that. The knowledge didn't make him feel any better, though.

"Jack didn't mean to do this, Dean," Cas said, his voice graver than usual. "You know it was an accident?" he posed it as a question.

"I know," Dean said shortly. And he did know, but that didn't stop him from being angry. Jack wasn't ready for this. He should never have let them push the boy so hard. They were idiots. All of them. Complete and total dumbasses. A part of him was still screaming for revenge on Jack for hurting his mother – almost like it had screamed for revenge on the yellow-eyed demon all those years ago for killing her. It was illogical and he knew it, but he was having a hard time ignoring the invasive thoughts at the moment.

All he could see was red.

"C'mon," Sam said, pushing Dean slightly. "Let's let her rest."

"I'm not leaving her," Dean said stubbornly.

"Dean," Cas began, "there's nothing you can do for her right now. We need to focus on finding Jack and getting him back before anyone _else_ finds him."

Dean understood the implication and he nodded, turning back toward the library with the others.

"How is she?" Giles asked immediately when they walked in. Dean was surprised at the urgency in his voice, but he supposed that he shouldn't have been. Giles and Mary were old friends, after all.

"She'll be OK, just needs rest," Sam said, sitting down and looking tired. Giles nodded, not looking entirely reassured.

"We need to find Jack," Cas said, sitting down too.

"Not necessary," Sam responded quickly, pulling out his phone. "I made sure that he had a cell phone when we got back from the other Earth."

"It's unlikely that the young man will answer the phone, given his current state of mind," Giles pointed out skeptically.

"That's why I put GPS on it. I wasn't about to lose him again," Sam explained.

"And if he doesn't have his phone with him?" Giles asked.

"It's a statistical impossibility for an 18 year old boy to leave his phone," Sam muttered, still looking at his own cell. Giles gave Sam a strange look then, but Dean couldn't interpret the expression.

"He's 8 months old," Dean pointed out to Sam.

"Shut up and let me look." They stopped questioning him and waited while Sam pulled up the app locating Jack. Watching his brother closely, Dean saw immediately that something was off. Sam's eyes went wide, and a look of confusion crossed his face.

"What's up?" he asked his brother.

"He's in Lawrence," Sam said, still staring at his phone.

"What?" Dean asked incredulously.

Sam started tapping his phone, apparently trying to determine his exact location, zooming in on the map. His eyes went even wider. Dean waited impatiently for Sam to say more. Finally, he looked up, staring at Dean, confusion written all over his face. "He's in Stull Cemetery."

Dean stared at his brother. That couldn't be a coincidence. It couldn't be. But why… why would he be there? "What… Why in the hell would Jack go there?" Dean asked slowly. Sam looked just as dumbfounded as he felt. They both turned to Cas, hoping maybe he had some answers, but the angel looked equally surprised.

"I… I don't know why he would go there," Cas said, his voice stuttering slightly.

"Sorry, but what's the sitch with this Skull Cemetery?" Buffy asked.

"Stull Cemetery," Giles corrected her. "It's supposedly one of the most haunted sites in the Americas." He turned to the others for confirmation. Sam nodded.

"It's more than that, though" Sam said. "It's where the original battle between Lucifer and Michael was supposed to go down 8 years ago. It's where we managed to trap Lucifer back into his cage."

"And it's also less than 10 miles away from where we were born," Dean added. Buffy blinked in surprise and Giles and Faith both looked thoughtful.

Willow was the only one who didn't look at all surprised. "You all have a deep connection to that place. Spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Sam and Dean, you both fought Lucifer and Michael there. In a way, it was a turning point in your lives. And you lost your other brother to Michael and the cage. Sam, you went to hell. Cas, you died there. It's not surprising that Jack would be drawn to a place so connected to the three of you."

"How… how did you know all that?" Dean asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Willow looked extremely embarrassed, her cheeks turning the same color as her hair. "Well, never mind that," she tried to say, voice quiet and breathy, but Buffy cut her off, a small grin on her face.

"You've read the Supernatural books, haven't you?" she asked. Willow didn't answer, turning even redder, if that was possible. _Those goddamn books! Every. Damn. Time._ Dean vowed to himself that one day he would get back at Chuck for invading their privacy like that. Even if it meant hunting down him and Amara in whatever plane of existence they were currently in…

"Wonderful," Sam said sarcastically. "Well, let's go get him."

"Just a moment," Giles said, stopping Sam before he stood up. "Mr. Kline is in a very vulnerable state at the moment, as observed by his literally explosive outburst and subsequent flight. I think it would be best if only a few people went. Those who know him best, I think. Those he feels the most comfortable around."

Sam spoke up first, turning to Dean and Cas, "I think you two should go. He knows you both best and will feel the safest around you." He eyed Dean, suddenly thoughtful. "Assuming you're still OK with him?" Sam raised the inflection of the last word, indicating that he wasn't entirely sure if Dean _was_ OK with Jack.

Dean nodded, but then said, "But I think you would be a better choice than me. He's closer to you."

"Not sure that's true… Besides, I want to stay with Mom," Sam explained.

"I want to come too," Buffy said. Dean sighed. Not again. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her, unsure what her reason for wanting to tag along would be this time. "It's my fault that he exploded like that."

"Not your fault, B," Faith said immediately. "The kid was frustrated and angry. He was gunna explode anyway, you just happened to be the proverbial straw."

"Still, I think I should go. I need to help bring him back. I want to apologize and explain that we aren't angry at him and we don't blame him for what happened. That we still believe that he can do this. That we believe in him. I think he needs to hear that right now." Buffy looked at Dean imploringly. This was clearly important to her. Everything was important to this woman. She carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, and seemed to think that she always had to be the one to fix it. He understood that feeling. He had a bad habit of doing the same thing. Finally, he nodded, agreeing.

The hunter, the slayer, and the angel were all back in the Impala within 15 minutes. Dean had made Sam promise to call if anything changed around their mother. Willow and Giles had agreed to watch over her as well. Giles, in particular, seemed almost as concerned about her state of being as the brothers. The drive to Lawrence would take them about 3 and a half hours and Dean was not in a good mood to start with. Assuming things went OK with getting Jack, they would be getting home late.

The trip was long and uneventful. Cas had briefly tried to reassure Dean that Mary would be fine, but Dean wasn't listening and didn't want to hear his endless platitudes. Dean, his mood darker than usual, didn't turn any music on and didn't acknowledge Buffy when she asked if she could turn on the radio. She took his silence for acquiescence and reached over the front seat between Dean and Cas to turn the knob.

Static met their ears immediately and she began fiddling with the knobs, trying to find a station. Cas pointed out to her that she should really have her seat belt on, to follow proper road laws and safety standards. She glanced at him briefly before he informed her that he would find a station and she should sit back and buckle up.

She rolled her eyes and huffed back into the back seat. Dean heard a click a moment later. Nodding his head in approval, Cas began searching for a station instead. Despite his foul mood, Dean couldn't help but be amused at the ridiculous interaction and Cas' stern following of the rules.

The ultimate angel rebel, who went against his superiors, who fought against heaven's goals, who broke every rule in the heavenly book, and he can't allow a human to break a simple traffic law. The thought brought a smile to his lips as Cas finally found a station. An old Green Day song come on and from the back seat, Buffy quietly began to sing along.

 _So make the best of this test, and don't ask why  
_ _It's not a question but a lesson learned in time  
_ _It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right  
_ _I hope you had the time of your life_

The rest of the ride, Dean felt himself calming down as they listened to the soft rock station and Buffy sang along to most of the music that she knew. She didn't have a great voice, but she could carry the tunes at least, and he found it soothing.

The rain was finally starting to slow down as night fell and Dean turned on his headlights. They heavy cloud cover was blocking the moon and stars and the glass on his windshield was fogging as they approached Lawrence.

Finally, Dean pulled up to the familiar entrance to Stull Cemetery. Memories briefly flashed through his mind and he paused, letting the images wash over him.

Sam as Lucifer, beating the life out of him against the Impala. Bobby's neck snapping. Cas exploding. The change on Sam's face when he finally managed to wrest control of his body from the devil. The horrific vision of Adam and Sam tumbling into the hole into hell.

"Dean?" Cas said, looking at him. Dean grunted in response and proceeded into the cemetery. It wasn't large, and Dean stopped very close to where he'd stopped the car the last time he was here. The place was significantly creepier in the dark and Dean sincerely hoped that this wouldn't take long. The memories were still hitting him, and he didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

A young man was sitting on a headstone, looking at his hands, which were sparking. The lights bouncing from his fingertips lit up the dark space around him, drawing their eyes. The three of them cautiously got out of the car.

"Jack?" Cas called. The Nephilim looked up, his eyes a glowing gold ring, and quickly stood up when he saw them. He raised his hands, not in warning, but in caution. Warning them to keep back. Sparks were still emitting from his fingertips

"I can't control it!" he said anxiously. His outstretched hands sparked brighter than they had been, and a small bolt shot toward them. It missed Dean, just barely, and Jack quickly pulled his hands back into his body. "Keep away!"

"Jack, it's OK. You can control this," Cas said, taking a step forward. "You have the power."

"It's too much," he exclaimed. "I hurt her! I hurt Mary. I didn't mean to. You have to believe me!"

"We know, kid," Dean said, taking a step forward too. "Mom's OK. She'd going to be fine."

"I killed her!" he cried. Another bolt shot from his arms, hitting a nearby tree. A crack rang out through the cemetery and a branch fell to the ground.

"You didn't," Buffy reassured him. "She'd back at the bunker resting. Cas was able to heal her. It was an accident. We all know that. No one's mad at you."

"She's OK?" he looked at them all unbelievingly, pleadingly. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I still hurt her. I could hurt any of you. You should leave." He was getting more worked up by the word. A soft glow started to form around him. They had to find a way to calm him down. To reassure him. And then it hit Dean. He was just like Sam used to be, innocent, afraid. He wanted to help, but didn't understand his own strength, his own powers.

Dean was the older brother. It was his job to protect his younger siblings. And now, that included Jack.

"Jack," he said slowly and clearly. "We're not leaving. This is a family matter. And you're family now whether you like it or not. And we don't abandon family. Come home, and you can see Mom for yourself. She's going to be fine."

"How could you ever forgive me?" he asked, his voice cracked slightly, and he sounded like the scared child he truly was. It was heartbreaking to see the fear in his eyes.

"We understand what you're going through, Jack," Buffy said. She had that look in her eyes. The this-is-my-job-and-no-one-can-do-it-better-than-me look, somehow both arrogant and humble. Dean wasn't quite sure how she pulled it off, but either way, she made it work. Dean listened, amazed when she continued talking. "I've hurt my family too. In terrible ways. When you live the life that we do, sometimes things happen. Terrible things. It sucks, but it's true. I once helped a demon to almost kill all of my friends and family. I _helped_ it, Jack. I didn't understand what I was doing, but I still felt the guilt afterward. It was horrible. I blamed myself for not being stronger. But you know what? My friends forgave me. My sister forgave me. I hurt them and they let it go like water through spread fingers. It took me a lot longer to forgive myself, but eventually I did. And so will you. None of us blame you for what happened. We forgive you, Jack. And we're sorry for putting so much pressure on you. This is on all of us, not just you. And it's time for you to come home."

And just like that, the anger and blame that Dean was feeling toward Jack vanished. Buffy was right. Shit like this happens, but you stick by your family no matter what. If he could forgive Sam and Cas for some of the crap they've pulled, he can forgive Jack for this. He hadn't done it on purpose, which is more than can be said for some of Sam and Cas' choices.

"She's right," Dean told Jack, looking away from the Slayer and back toward the kid. "We forgive you... and we hope that you can forgive us. I'll admit, I didn't trust you for a while there, I was too focused on who your old man was. But you've proven yourself. And you are a part of this family."

"Family, Jack," Cas chimed in. "And family doesn't end with blood." Dean smiled appreciatively at Cas. That was a Bobby saying and they both knew it, only Bobby wouldn't have been as grammatically correct.

The glow around Jack started to fade and his fingers finally stopped sparking. He looked down at his hands in disbelief and then looked up at them. His eyes had returned to normal. Without the lights emanating from Jack, Dean actually had a hard time seeing him in the dark, his eyes not having readjusted yet.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked uncertainly.

"Damn sure," Dean said, nodding. He confidently strode forward and grabbed Jack's hand before pulling him into a one-armed hug. Cas followed suit, hugging the young man as Dean stepped away. His eyes started to adjust to the dark and he looked toward Buffy. She had a warm smile on her face, looking very pleased and a little bit proud.

He turned back to Jack and Cas, and as they started to step away from each other, Jack's fingertips brushed Cas' shoulder, and they both started to glow.

"What the…" Dean said, taking a surprised step back. For a panicked moment, he feared that something had gone wrong and Jack had lost control again. He started forward again, anxiously, but Buffy was at his side in an instant, drawing him away.

"Wait…" she said, staring at the two men as well. Dean watched as the glow spread from Jack's fingertips and Cas' shoulder until they were both encompassed by a bright aura. Cas had a confused and shocked look on his face and Jack clearly didn't know what was happening. Jack's hand was quickly pulled away, as though Jack too thought something had gone wrong.

But then a look of wonder appeared on Cas' face, and the glow passed completely out of Jack and into Cas. His eyes lit up and his arms spread wide. He turned his face toward the sky, the glow becoming ever brighter. And then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean managed to say staring from Jack to Cas.

Jack was looking at Cas in fear, "I'm not sure."

"Cas?" Dean prompted.

Cas was examining his own hands. Then he touched his own chest and stomach, as though he wasn't sure they were really there. He pulled on his tie slightly, and then finally, he looked up at the others who were all watching him.

"Jack," he said, sheer awe in his voice.

"I'm sorry!" Jack exclaimed, assuming the worst. "I don't know what I did."

"You misunderstand," Cas contradicted softly. "You have done nothing wrong. In fact…" and that's when Dean realized what happened. There was a flash of lightening from nowhere and the world around them dimmed and then brightened, focusing on Cas, and the enormous, and whole wings that he now had. His eyes glowed softly in the vibrating light.

Cas got his wings back.

"Cas…" Dean said in wonder as the light faded again and his wings disappeared from view.

Cas grabbed Jack in another hug, his eyes closed tight. "Thank you," he whispered. Jack looked shocked, as did Buffy.

When Cas broke apart from Jack, he had the most genuine smile that Dean had seen on Cas' face in years. "This changes everything," he said. He looked at Jack, "Do you think you can do that again?"

Jack blinked in surprise. He furrowed his brows and looked at the ground. "I'm not sure…" he hesitated. "I think so. Maybe."

"Jack has the power to restore an angel's wings. This could make all the difference in convincing the other angels to reject Lucifer. I must get to work on this right away," Cas said. And then, in a flutter of wings and the sound of a trench coat flapping through the air, Cas was gone.

Dean blinked in surprise, the whiplash from the turn of events making him slightly dizzy. But Cas vanishing randomly like that, he'd almost forgotten how annoying that could be. And yet, at the same time, it was almost comfortingly familiar.

"And we're back," he chuckled to himself.

"Huh?" Buffy asked, still staring at the spot that Cas had vanished from.

"Cas used to do that all the time. Coming and going at the drop of a hat and in the middle of a conversation. I'd almost forgotten what it was like," Dean explained. And then he laughed, grabbing Jack, and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "Good job, kid. If we can get the other angels on our side thanks to this, then it really could make all the difference."

"You think so?" Jack asked, unconvinced.

"Definitely," Buffy agreed.

"So waddya think? Ready to go home?" Dean asked. Jack nodded his head, smiling uncertainly, and they climbed back into Baby, heading back toward Lebanon.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20  
Topeka, KS  
I-470 W

There was an awkward silence in the car as they slowly made their way back to the bunker. Jack was still feeling guilty about what had happened to Mary, and though it didn't seem like it anymore, Buffy feared that Dean might still be angry. To make matters worse, when they'd started the car and the music came on, some lyrics seemed to strike Jack in the chest. He stared at the radio, listening to the music in a kind of terrified nausea.

 _Drowning deep in my sea of loathing  
_ _Broken your servant I kneel  
_ _(Will you give in to me?)  
_ _It seems what's left of my human side  
_ _Is slowly changing in me  
_ _(Will you give in to me?)_

 _Looking at my own reflection  
_ _When suddenly it changes  
_ _Violently it changes (oh no)  
_ _There is no turning back now  
_ _You've woken up the demon in me_

 _Get up, come on get down with the sickness  
_ _Open up your hate, and let it flow into …_

Dean promptly turned the music off at that point, sending them into the silence that was now consuming them. Feeling the need to do something – anything – else, Buffy pulled out her phone to let the others know they were on their way back.

 ** _[_** ** _Buffy]_** _Hey Will, can you let everyone know that we got Jack and we're on our way back?_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _Sure thing… how's Jack?_

 ** _[_** ** _Buffy]_** _…_ _OK I guess. A bit freaked out, but I get that_

 ** _[_** ** _Buffy]_** _You wont believe what happened tho!_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _?_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _dont ask me how, but I guess somehow jack gave cas his wings back_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _…_ _he can do that?_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _apparently. and cas took off almost immediately_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _he was talking about convincing the other angels to turn on lucifer… he thinks that if Jack can restore the other angels wings that wed have a better time getting their help_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _That's crazy!_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _I know… anyway, let the other knows. I'm sure Sam will wanna know. Hows Mary btw?_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _others know*_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _still out. Sam's been sitting with her. but I think she's healing_

 _ **[Willow]**_ _is it me… or are the Winchesters a weird family_

 _ **[Buffy]**_ _OMG majorly weird…_

Their conversation quickly turned into a discussion about the odd dynamics in the hunter family, including Jack and Cas. Willow had seen the same things Buffy had. Of course, Willow had, apparently, read the _Supernatural_ books, so she knew a bit more about it than Buffy did. Once again, Buffy regretted not having started the first book that Xander had given her.

After their conversation started to dwindle, Buffy started texting Dawn instead, since the car was still uncomfortably quiet. Dean and Jack hadn't said a word to each other, or her, since they'd left the cemetery, and the silence was driving the slayer up the wall.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _hey dawnie, just checking in. hows things back home?_

 ** _[Dawnie_** ** _]_** _everythings quiet here. not really too much going on. Maggie and Kennedy's team just got back from Venezuela. So they're all taking a bit of a breather_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _and_ _Xander has apparently decided that HQ needs a better security system, insisting that we get finger print scanners and id cards. Cause a house full of slayers isn't security enough, apparently. Dumbass. Lol_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _wow… I bet giles would loooove that._

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _oh god. Don't tell him! we don't need him chiming in on something like that. Andrew is bad enough._

 ** _[Buffy]_** _lol. And hows the midget?_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _growing faster than I care to think about. Hes been asking about you. Wants to know when you coming home._

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _you're*_

Buffy hesitated. Not entirely sure how to answer her sister. She missed Cleveland, and her family and friends, but she wasn't sure how long it was going to take to defeat Lucifer. They still had to finish training Jack and then they actually had to find and confront the Devil. And there was that nagging thought that kept reemerging in her brain telling her that she could stay. She'd already given up being a slayer… sort of. But being with these hunters had made her feel happy. Comfortable.

And while she'd never be normal, they made her feel less like a freak than anyone ever had. Especially from those outside the Scooby Gang. It was refreshing, and she was hesitant to give it up. But of course, she'd have to. She couldn't stay with the Winchesters. Eventually, she'd go home.

Buffy glanced out the window, still trying to figure out how to answer Dawn. The stars had started to vanish behind cloud cover again, and the rain that they'd left behind was making it's reappearance as they returned to Lebanon.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _we still have a lot of work to do here, so I'm not sure how much longer this will take_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _tell you what. Facetime me tomorrow night when you get home from work. That way i can see and talk to the little man_

This time it was Buffy's turn to wait for an answer. The "typing" bubble kept appearing and disappearing as though Dawn wasn't sure what to say. After almost 5 minutes, she responded with a short question.

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _Which one is it?_

This took Buffy by surprise, and she wasn't sure what Dawn was even talking about.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _huh? which what is what?_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _X-D Which boy, big sister? Which one is making you want to stay?_

 ** _[Buffy]_** :-| _thats not whats happening here dawnie_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _of course not… ;-)_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _I'm just saying that you've spent more time with those brothers in the last month than you spent with any guy since Spike. I don't think anyone could blame you if you wanted to have a little fun for once_

Buffy wanted to scowl, but despite everything, she found herself grinning instead.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _you spend way too much time thinking about this_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _hey, I'm married with a kid. Sometimes, I wanna live vicariously though you… except your life is usually so boring! And right now, it's not…_

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _is it Dean? I bet its dean._

 ** _[Buffy]_** _facetime me tomorrow with your son, sis. I'll talk to you then._

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _ooooo! Subject change. I think I might have hit a nerve. LMAO. Love you! 3_

Buffy felt in a better mood after that, regardless of the teasing – or maybe because of it. It reminded her of old times. It wasn't so much what Dawn was saying, but more how she was saying it. By saying that Buffy was only staying for a boy and not because the fate of the world was at stake somehow made it all seem not so bad. And the silence in the car was much more bearable as they approached the bunker.

When they were still an hour away, Jack had fallen asleep. This struck Buffy as strange as she'd heard that Nephilim didn't really need to sleep – like angels. Vaguely, she wondered if Jack had forced himself to go to sleep to help pass the time, or maybe if he was faking; but she doubted the latter. Either way, the tension in the car seemed to lessen a bit after that.

Buffy found herself either watching the rain streak by on the windows outside, or watching Dean as he drove. When Jack had drifted off, Dean seemed to relax a bit. Every once in a while, he would look sideways at the boy, as though considering him. She wished she knew what was going on in that gorgeous head of his.

When they pulled back into the garage of the Bunker, Buffy gently nudged Jack awake. He seemed tired and groggy. Maybe all that power he'd used in both teleporting and whatever he'd done to Cas had wiped him out? Or maybe just the events of the last day.

"Why don't you go off to bed, Jack?" she said. "Everyone else is probably already asleep anyway."

Jack nodded and got out of the car without saying much or meeting either of their eyes. She watched him go, but held back from leaving too. She wanted a word with Dean.

"I take it you wanted to talk too, sweetheart?" came Dean's voice from behind her. She blinked in surprise and turned around. Dean was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, and watching her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"'Too?'" she repeated. "You wanted to talk to me?"

He broke the eye contact, suddenly looking both younger and older at the same time. How did he even manage that? "I just wanted to thank you for coming. I never would have been able to convince him the way you did." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "You don't have to answer this but, the things you said about hurting your friends… were they true?"

She looked aside too, shame rising in her. She'd gotten over those things years ago, but it still hurt to remember what she'd done. "They were. And the things you said about Jack being your family. Did you mean that?"

Buffy sensed only the smallest hesitation before Dean answered her, "Yeah, I did. The kid's earned the right. And I need to stop thinking of him as Lucifer's son and start thinking of him as Jack. He deserves that much."

Buffy stepped closer to Dean, and risked looking into his eyes. And it was a risk. Because those eyes were beautiful. Intense. Earnest. Dean kept surprising her. He had so many layers that he worked so hard to maintain, so that no one would see what was underneath. And yet, sometimes, like right now, he'd let down his walls, and she could see the real man. And she couldn't help but like what she saw there.

He met her eyes and there was a moment where neither of them said anything. The tension was thick and Buffy found that she couldn't break the eye contact. So, Dean broke it first. His eyes flicked down to her lips, and she found she couldn't move and didn't really want to.

Seemingly of their own accord, Buffy found her hands moving up to his chest, and she felt his grasp her waist, pulling her closer. Her brain was strangely numb as he moved down, tilting his head slightly. Wait… what was she doing? Was this really happening right now? Was now the right time for this?

His lips found hers, and she closed her eyes, surprised and pleased by the gentleness of the kiss. She rose up on her tip-toes, adding pressure to the kiss. They held each other tightly for a few seconds, and then, like a spell, the moment ended.

They broke apart, looking at each other. Buffy couldn't read his thoughts, and how she wished she could! The apology the night before ( _was that really only last night?_ ) and now this? She didn't know what to make of it; and she guessed this wasn't Dean's usual seduction technique. He struck her more as a meet-a-girl-in-a-bar-and-sleep-with-her-once kind of guy.

And then he smiled at her. A real, genuine smile. "I think I'll go check on my Mom, goodnight Buffy," was all he said before he let go of her waist and walked out.

Right. His mother. Of course.

As Buffy followed Dean out of the garage and into the hallways of the Bunker, she found herself wondering if he'd just needed some comfort because he was still worried about his mom. Her feet led her toward the library, and as she passed Mary's room, she saw Dean and Sam both sitting by her bed. Dean caught her eye as she passed and she thought she detected the barest hint of a smile before he turned back to his mother.

When she got to the library, Willow and Faith were still up, waiting for her. They both looked up from their conversation when she entered the room and sat down across from them.

"So, how'd it go?" Willow asked.

"It was nice. Kinda out of nowhere. But still… nice," Buffy said, looking at the wood grains on the table top. Idly, she traced a pattern with a finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed some carved letters on the other side of the table. S.W. and D.W. Sam and Dean. She smiled slightly.

Silence followed her response and she looked up. And then she realized that she was a moron and they were, of course, talking about Jack. Willow and Faith were looking at her with raised eyebrows and amused expressions.

"Uh…" she said quickly, "I mean, it went fine. We talked Jack down. He's in his room – probably sleeping now."

"I didn't think Nephilim's needed sleep?" Willow asked.

"Never mind that, red!" Faith interrupted. "What was this about something being nice?" She was grinning in a knowing fashion, and staring at Buffy.

"Sorry, forget I said that. My brain was somewhere else," Buffy muttered.

"I bet it was," Faith laughed. Willow raised an eyebrow at Faith, but didn't say anything. Though, Buffy thought she saw the corners of her lips twitch upward for just a second, before she regained control of her features. Great. Just great. She was never going to live this down.

"How's Mary doing?" Buffy asked. Thankfully, neither of the other women commented on the sudden change of subject. Unlike Dawn, who would have nagged and nagged until she'd gotten a straight answer out of Buffy. Fortunately, for the blonde slayer, her little sister was in another state.

"She'll probably wake in the morning," Willow said. "She's mostly healed, significantly faster than I would have expected. She's a strong woman. But I think she should stay on bed rest for the next few days. Allow the magic to really heal her body."

"You'll have a hard time convincing her to stay in bed," came Dean's voice from the doorway. Sam followed his brother in, and Dean grabbed both of them, as well as Faith, a beer before sitting down too. _We really are starting to get to know each other well, aren't we_? Buffy thought idly.

"So, you all need to explain to me exactly what happened out there," Sam said. "Willow said that Jack gave Cas his wings back?" Dean and Buffy explained what had happened, Buffy leaving out the story of her turning on her friends. Dean didn't correct her, for which she was grateful.

It was almost 1 in the morning when they'd finished; the kiss was missing from their story as well, and Buffy was OK with that. She wasn't entirely sure how Dean was going to treat her after that anyway. She wondered if Dean was going to ignore it until this was all over, or if he'd expect something from her.

When they all finally got up to go to bed, Buffy wasn't sure what to expect. Would he try to walk her to her door or something? Would he say something to her? Would he acknowledge the kiss at all? But when she got up to go to her room, he simply said goodnight to her again.

"Goodnight, Dean," and before she could stop herself, she put a hand on his shoulder as she passed, squeezing gently. And why in the hell had she done that? She didn't think anyone else had noticed, and she tried to pretend it didn't happen. But once again, she could feel his eyes on her back as she walked out.

As she lay in bed, she kept going back and forth, arguing with herself about whether she wanted the kiss to mean anything. She cared for Dean, she knew that. She couldn't help it. He seemed to have a way of getting under her skin. The way he would build up his walls, and then let them down enough for her to see him, only to build them back up again.

Why. Why! Why did she have to go after guys like him? Guys with baggage who don't understand the concept of commitment. Of course, she had gone after one guy who wasn't like that… and everyone knew how that one ended… And she'd had the occasional normal boyfriend over the years, but none of them lasted even as long as Riley.

She rolled over, huffing. And then she decided that maybe she would start that book. She sat up, turning the light on and pulled out the book from the nightstand where she'd tucked it when she'd moved in. The first book was simply called "Supernatural" and Buffy opened it up to the first page.

She was immediately greeted by images of a woman in a nightgown waking to a baby's cry. She quickly read through the prologue. Knowing that it all really happened, she felt she was somehow invading on the Winchesters' privacy, and maybe she was, but she found she couldn't stop.

She read well into the early hours of the morning, something she didn't think she'd ever done in her life.

XXXX

Buffy awoke from troubling dreams about the Mary she now knows being pinned to the ceiling, while a grown Sam and Dean screamed below her. Instead of the yellow eyed demon described in the book, it was Lucifer holding her in place, and a baby with Jack's face was crying in the crib. How disturbing...

She sat up in bed and looked at her phone. It was close to nine and she had a missed call from the Cleveland Counseling Agency. Dr. Gates was checking up on her; they were all worried about her sudden disappearance after chasing two men out of a bar all those weeks ago. She knew that the story had quickly made the rounds at work, but they'd left her alone after she'd informed them that she would be on extended leave. But now, Dr. Gates was starting to become worried for her.

She quickly texted her old boss, letting her know that she was OK, but that she still didn't know when she would be returning. _If_ she would be returning, a small part of her mind whispered to her. Again, she shoved the thought down.

She got up and after making a quick pit stop to the bathroom, she went straight to Mary's room, where she found pretty much the entire population of the bunker, except Cas.

"How is she?" Buffy whispered to Faith when she peeked through the door. There wasn't a lot of space in the room, so Buffy opted to stay in the hallway with the brunette slayer. Sam, Dean, Willow, and Giles were standing or sitting around Mary's bed, while Jack seemed to be trying to blend into the wall in the corner. He looked more anxious than anyone else.

"She's starting to come around. Red and G are trying to gently wake her up now," Faith said. Buffy watched, and sure enough, Willow was doing something magical over Mary's body, while the brothers watched nervously. For a few minutes, nothing happened, but then Mary began to stir.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked several times, taking into account the number of people in her room.

"What…" she swallowed and blinked slowly, looking exhausted, "What happened?"

"Mom!" Dean and Sam said at the same time, each looking anxiously over her.

"Are you OK?" Dean asked while Sam said, "How are you feeling?"

"Like a got hit by a wendigo on steroids," she muttered. A few uncomfortable glances were cast toward Jack, who shrunk even further into himself, looking miserable and guilty. "How long was I out?" she asked, trying to sit up. Sam and Dean promptly pushed her back down.

"You need rest, Mary," Giles said.

"What happened?" Mary asked again.

"You don't remember?" Sam questioned nervously.

"We were… training Jack, and then… there was an explosion?" Mary said, trying to bring up the memory.

"It was my fault," Jack said quietly from his corner. "Mary, I'm so sorry for what I did to you."

Mary blinked a few times and then looked curiously at Jack. And then she realized what happened, or maybe she remembered clearly, because a look of understanding and pity dawned on her face. And then she smiled in a motherly way at the boy. "Not your fault, Jack. We knew the risks. And you're still learning."

"But I lost patience. I hurt you! I could have hurt the others. I'm so sorry. I'll understand if you never forgive me," Jack looked truly miserable.

"There's nothing to forgive. This stuff happens in the kind of lives we lead. And you're one of my boys. So, I don't want to hear that you're beating yourself up over this."

"But…" Jack began, but Mary cut him off.

"You're one of my boys," she repeated. There was something in her tone that brooked no argument and that there was nothing else to say. "Now… how about some bacon?" she asked looking around and smiling.

Several people volunteered to help cook some breakfast, including Mary. This was immediately stopped as everyone insisted that Mary stay in bed and heal. They would bring her some food. She clearly didn't like this plan and insisted that she get up ("At least let me pee!"). They let her use the bathroom, but then she was forced to return to bed where pancakes, bacon, and coffee were brought to her.

The only one who seemed to think this wasn't necessary was Faith. She didn't say anything to contradict the others, but she did shake her head and roll her eyes every time someone yelled at Mary that she needed bed rest. Buffy suspected that Faith, like Mary, thought that Mary was stronger than everyone was giving her credit for, and that she would probably be better off being treated normally.

Buffy partially agreed, but she didn't want to go against the previous advice of an angel and the magic users of the group.

Mary finally agreed to stay in bed, but only if they a) didn't treat her like an invalid and b) didn't stop Jack's training. She insisted that Jack was strong enough to figure it out and that he should get right back on the horse as soon as possible. So, Sam set Mary up with a TV and Netflix, much to her chagrin, and they all went into the library to discuss continuing Jack's training.

Jack still seemed hesitant to continue, but agreed to try again. The reassuring smiles and confident looks on those around him (whether they were real or not, Buffy wasn't sure) seemed to boost his morale. The encouraging look on Dean's face, in particular, seemed to make a huge difference.

They were just about to get up to head back to the field when Dean's phone rang. Cas had arrived back at the bunker and had news he wanted to share with everyone. They let him in and he looked encouraged. Buffy couldn't help but think that he was holding himself straighter than she'd ever seen in him before this. Restoring his wings really did make all the difference, it would seem.

Cas didn't sit down when he met them in the library. He paused while they all waited for him to speak. Finally, Sam broke the silence.

"How's it feel to have your wings back, Cas?"

Cas smiled warmly. "It feels… right, Sam," he said in his gravelly voice. Somehow, Buffy thought that he seemed younger. "It feels like I've been made whole again. Not only have my wings been fully restored, but my diminished grace has been returned as well. Jack, I cannot express how happy this makes me. Thank you."

Jack looked embarrassed and nodded to the angel awkwardly. Cas continued, addressing them all. "I have managed to make contact with several other angels here on Earth. They were… surprised, to say the least to see that I have been restored to my former self. I explained what happened and they were more receptive than I've seen them in years. They said that they would quietly spread the word to other angels who don't trust Lucifer. They agreed to help defeat the Adversary, as long as Jack really could restore their wings."

"That's great, Cas. That's more promise than we've had from angels in… ever," Sam said.

"Hold it," Dean cut in. "Will they help us only _after_ Jack restores their wings, or are they willing to step up now?"

Cas frowned and hesitated before answering, "… I'm not sure, Dean. We didn't have long to talk, they were nervous about being seen with me. But they did promise that they would do what they can."

"And the likelihood of this getting back to Lucifer?" Dean asked suspiciously. "Do you trust these angels to keep their mouths shut?"

"Hard to say. I'm optimistic that my brothers and sisters will only tell those they trust. But if it does get back to him, I suspect it won't take long until we find out. He'll come for us. More importantly, he'll come for Jack," Cas said.

A nervous tremor ran around the tables at that and Jack looked anxious again.

"So, now what?" Jack asked.

"Now, we resume your training as originally planned," Giles said.

They split up, only needing 2 cars since Mary wasn't going to join them. Jack and Cas (though he didn't actually need the car anymore) climbed into the back of the Impala with Sam and Dean, while Buffy, Faith, and Willow joined Giles in his car. They traveled the short distance to the now familiar field. Willow put up her usual protection field, but as they started to gather inside of it, Jack began to insist that everyone who wasn't immediately needed should stay on the outside of the dome.

There was a lot of argument around this. Most of them insisted that they trusted him and they would be OK. Only Faith seemed to accept Jack's request without argument. Willow, Giles, and Cas wanted to stay inside for training, while Sam, Dean, and Buffy insisted on being there for support. Eventually, Jack won the argument simply by refusing to even try until most of them moved outside the dome.

He conceded to let Cas and Willow stay inside, but no one else. Willow adjusted the magic on the dome slightly so that the others could see and hear inside, while still containing the magic within.

The training began much as it had the day before, only now, with Cas at full strength once again, he was able to show Jack what he was doing. He was able to take Jack along with him, moving from one spot within the dome to the other, so that Jack could focus on what it felt like. This seemed to work better for the young Nephilim who was nodding his head, following the things that Cas was saying.

Buffy strove to be more attentive this time, especially if this turned into a long training day again. She nodded and smiled at Jack every time he happened to look her way, hoping that it would help encourage him. Just as Jack said that he thought he might understand enough to try it by himself now, something hit Buffy full force.

She felt her entire body fly backward, her hair streaming in front of her eyes preventing her from seeing anything. Time seemed to slow down as she flew several feet into the air, and she heard someone nearby cry out, though it sounded like it was more out of surprise than fright or pain. As her body hit the top of its arc, she felt the force of gravity start to pull her down.

She still couldn't see, but she could feel the hard earth quickly approaching, and she was falling head first. Instinctually, she ducked her head and threw up her arms. Her fingers touched the ground first and she used her momentum to push off slightly, and roll out of the fall, landing on her feet quickly. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked around, gasping for breath.

Everyone who had been outside the dome had been sent flying in all directions. Sam had landed nearby in a heap, though he appeared unharmed as he pushed himself to his feet. On the other side of the dome, Faith was already on her feet too and Dean was just shaking his head, pushing himself off the ground. On her other side, Giles was still in a crumpled heap, and she rushed to him quickly. He was breathing and conscious, thank god.

"I'm OK," he reassured her. What the hell just happened? Had Jack exploded again?

She focused her attention inside the dome for the first time, and she felt panic quickly rise inside her. The dome was falling apart. Willow was stuck in the air, as though hung from an invisible cross. She looked torn between fear and fury. Her roots were darkening, which told Buffy more than anything else that something horrible was happening.

Cas and Jack were both standing still, though they didn't seem to be frozen in place like Willow. All three of them were staring at someone who had appeared out of nowhere. Buffy could see his face clearly through the collapsing magic around them.

His horrible, smiling face. His eyes were glowing bright red, and he looked pleased as punch to be standing there. He was staring at Jack, who looked terrified.

Jack was shaking, from rage or fear, Buffy couldn't tell.

And then Lucifer spoke, "At last, Father and Son – together again."

* * *

 **A/N** : I hope that you're enjoying the story! I know that my updates aren't coming every week anymore - it's been a busy summer and I apologize. But I promise at least 1 chapter every other week at the bare minimum.

Reviews?


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
Lebanon, KS  
Abandoned Wheat Field

"Together again. Gee, it's good to be together again! I just can't imagine that you've ever been gone. It's not starting over, it's just going on!"

Singing… Oh god. The Devil was singing. Dean found himself watching in a kind of horrified fascination. His instinct was screaming at him to attack – to take the offensive – but this wasn't his moment, and he knew it.

"Together again…" Lucifer continued to sing, moving his feet in a soft shoe to the words. The dead plants crunched under his feet as he moved in time to the song. What the hell even was that, the song that he was singing? Dean thought it sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. Something from his childhood, maybe? Dean shook his head at the disturbing sight. All Lucifer needed was a bloody axe in his hand and it could be something straight out of _American Psycho._

Apart from the demented Archangel, no one moved. Jack was staring at his father, a flurry of emotions on his face, ranging from fear, to sorrow, to panic, to anger. And to confusion. This was the first time that Jack had met his father, Dean realized. And the singing seemed to be throwing him off. Clearly, they hadn't properly explained how Lucifer really only drove on three wheels.

After a few more lines of the cheery and hopeful song, Lucifer thankfully stopped. Across from him, Dean saw Buffy slowly and cautiously help her old watcher to his feet. Above Jack, Willow still hung without moving, her long linen shirt flowing around her in waves. It appeared that she was the only one that Lucifer had bothered to trap. Interesting. Was she his biggest threat? He couldn't see her face from where he was standing, and he might have been imagining it, but it looked like her hair was darkening. Dean wasn't sure what to make of that.

Lucifer spread his arms wide and spun to them all, as though expecting applause. He was met with angry silence. Nearby, Dean could see Faith curling her hands into fists. But like him, she and the others didn't do anything. Not yet. And none of them had any useful weapons on them; Dean and Sam had their usual guns – not that they would be any use against this – and the slayers probably had some sharp objects hidden away – but again, no help against an Archangel. Hindsight was a bitch. They should have been more prepared than this. _Cas has his angel blade!_ Dean thought desperately… that was something at least. It wasn't much… but it _was_ something.

"Oh! C'mon guys," Lucifer said to them all, sounding disappointed. "I finally found my son. Isn't that cause for celebration?"

"I'm not your son," Jack said, sounding defiant.

"Now, now," Lucifer said, sounding very much like the patronizing parent. "I know that they've kept us apart, son. But is that any way to talk to your father?" Satan's eyes locked with Jack's, his attention seemingly held on to the Nephilim's. And without a word or consensus, the two hunters and the two slayers all lunged forward toward either Jack or Lucifer.

Faith and Dean were just about to reach the young boy, while Sam and Buffy were nearly on Lucifer, when they were all thrown again. Dean felt himself hit the ground hard, with Faith slamming into him a second later. A few feet away, Sam and Buffy also landed with grunts. Either through intention or sheer laziness, it appeared that Lucifer had thrown them all in the same general direction. Faith disentangled herself from Dean and she pulled him to his feet with a single tug that nearly dislocated his arm.

"Buffy!" Giles cried out from a hundred feet away, where he still stood. Buffy and Sam both got to their feet too, and Buffy gave Giles a reassuring smile that Dean could clearly see didn't extend to her eyes. She wasn't confident.

"Guuuyyyyys," Lucifer whined, dragging out the word into three syllables and addressing the brothers. "Ladies," he added to Buffy and Faith. "Is that anyway to treat a guest here? Why are you trying to keep me and my son apart? I think you all, better than most, understand what it's like to have a deadbeat dad. Can't you understand that I don't want that for my son? I just want to be there for him. So he doesn't grow up like you all had to. So he doesn't have to live like _we_ all had to. Faith – did you ever even _meet_ your father? Don't you remember what that's like? The not knowing?" Suddenly his manner changed to one of thoughtful curiosity as he raised a finger to his chin, tapping it gently. "Did your mother ever tell you that she never even told him that you existed? Ashamed, I think. Not that it matters, since they're both dead now…"

Dean grabbed Faith's wrist to stop her from lunging toward the Archangel again. Not that he could have stopped her if she'd really wanted to, but it at least made her think twice.

"And Buffy, did you know that your dad is on his 3rd wife now? This newest one is younger than you…"

"I really don't care," she spat at him, though Dean thought that she seemed unnerved. "He stopped being my father years ago."

"And Heckle and Jeckle," he continued, addressing Sam and Dean. "I don't think I need to go into your deadbeat – well, just dead now – daddy issues, do I?" Dean felt his grip on Faith's wrist tighten and she cast him a look, silently telling him the same thing he'd silently told her – drop it.

"I'm the same, guys," Lucifer said, spreading his arms wide in some terrible mockery of unity. "I understand. Cassie and I had the same problem. Dad left, and it left us all broken. I just don't want to do that to my son. I want to be there for him."

"You really just love to hear yourself talk, don't you?" Sam asked icily.

"You remember the cage, Sam," Lucifer grinned at him, his eyes flashing red again. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw Sam's eyes narrow and his nostrils flare in anger.

Suddenly, Cas rushed Lucifer, angel blade dropping into his hand. Not that it would do much – everyone here knew that a normal angel blade would be mostly useless against the Archangel, except to annoy him. Noticing this, Lucifer casually waved a hand. Cas tripped but kept on coming, which made the Devil turn and push out toward the other angel with his palm. This stopped Cas in his tracks, and suddenly he was held in place like Willow still was, floating above them and looking murderous.

"Baby brother, have you had some work done? Wing extensions, maybe?" Lucifer asked, looking at Cas curiously.

"Jack did what you could not," Cas said angrily.

Lucifer's eyes widened in surprise and he turned to Jack again, who still had not moved. "You did this?" his eyes seemed to shine, "I'm so proud of you, son."

"I'm not your son," Jack repeated. "You may be my blood. But that doesn't make us family." This made Dean smile with pride at the boy.

From behind Lucifer, Dean noticed something that made him narrow his eyes. Giles was standing perfectly still, but he'd slowly brought his hands together. He seemed to be mumbling under his breath and the sky behind him was darkening. What the hell was he doing? Was he using magic? _Oh shit! He's going to get himself killed_ , Dean thought worriedly. Buffy and Faith seemed to have noticed this too, and in order to take attention away from Giles, they both went for Lucifer again. Faith pulled a long knife out of somewhere as she ran. _Where the hell was she hiding that?_ Dean wondered vaguely.

This time, Lucifer simply sighed, held out his hand and squeezed it into a fist. Dean felt the air around him solidify and he was held in place. Buffy and Faith were both stopped mid-run and frozen too. The knife fell out of Faith's hand and landed point down in the dirt. The only ones who still appeared to be loose were Giles and Jack.

"How did you find us?" Cas asked suddenly and loudly.

"Yeah, you know, gotta say, Castiel, those protection sigils that you've carved into everyone's ribs. Really annoying. I loved the language you used though… 'Property of Castiel. Do not touch.' Really, brother?" Lucifer laughed. Was that really what the Enochian on their ribs said? Dean couldn't tell if Lucifer was making this up or not. "I know they're your pets and all, but that seems to take it a little far." Cas narrowed his eyes, but couldn't stop the small prideful grin that formed at the news that his protection sigils had caused Lucifer some grief.

"So, how? How did you find us, you dick?" Dean asked quickly, trying to keep Lucifer talking, while Giles continued to build up power. Clouds were roiling over his head and his hands had started to glow in a very soft light. He was shaking with the effort of whatever it was that he was doing, but he was very focused, eyes going back and forth between his hands and Lucifer. A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

"The angels follow me, worm. Did you really think that you could get them to betray me? Me? They follow, and now that they do, the combined strength of Heaven and Hell is with me. Even this witch-bitch's magic coliseum couldn't hide you all from me. A witch, 2 slayers, an angel, and a Nephilim walk into a bar and I promise you, the bartender will notice. All I needed was a lead, and Cas was nice enough to give me that when he spoke to our brothers and sisters. And I told you that you wouldn't be able to keep my son away from me for long."

Suddenly, the power that Giles was amassing coalesced. Dean was surprised, however, when it did not strike at Lucifer. Instead, it formed a bubble around Willow, who suddenly broke free from where she'd been floating. She burst out of the bubble, hair black as pitch and her eyes… _Oh god! Is she possessed?_ Her eyes were completely black like a demon, but she flew at Lucifer, fast and direct. Electricity and fire sprouted from each hand as she threw lightning and fireballs at the Devil. Faith's knife had been tossed at him too.

It was an impressive display, and Lucifer's surprise resulted in the others being released from their bindings. Dean was momentarily stunned before he joined in the sudden fray. Lucifer was deflecting and redirecting most of the magic, and while the knife had hit him, it did no damage. It froze and shattered as the hilt fell to the ground at his feet.

Buffy and Faith were both attacking Lucifer directly, punching and kicking, as they apparently had no more weapons. Unfortunately, they struggled to get too close, as Willow's magic, both direct and redirected, could have easily hurt them too. Behind Lucifer, Giles had collapsed to the ground, but Dean had no time to worry about the old man. Sam and Dean both rushed forward to help, but they had the same problem as the slayers. Cas strode forward, unafraid of Willow's magic, though it did seem to cause him pain when struck by a bolt that missed Lucifer. Maybe because the magic wasn't directed at him, it wasn't as powerful? Dean didn't really have time to think on it. Cas was swiping with his angel blade and managed a few cuts, but nothing incapacitating, before Lucifer backhanded him, knocking him to the ground. The cuts were already mending themselves.

The Archangel looked livid, eyes shining with red fire. His smoking clothes, from the magic that had managed to hit him, only adding to the effect. Suddenly, Willow threw what appeared to be a large glob of green goo at Lucifer, which quickly surrounded his body, pinning his arms to his sides. He was lifted into the air momentarily as his head tipped back.

"Ha!" Buffy shouted in triumph.

"Jack, destroy him now!" Willow shouted, as she held out both arms, trying to maintain the hold she had on the Devil. But the young Nephilim stood still as though frozen, though Dean knew that he wasn't. He looked scared and unsure.

"Jack!" Dean yelled too, trying to get the kid moving.

But then Lucifer's head snapped forward and the goo that had enveloped him so briefly melted away, as though it had never been there.

"You," he said, glaring at the now black-haired witch. "are an annoying little pixie, aren't you?"

Everyone else was thrown backward again, and Dean felt a crack in one of his ribs as he hit the ground for a third time. He winced in pain, but tried to ignore it, as he looked up. Lucifer had Willow frozen again, and he raised his hand, getting ready to snap her out of existence. But then, to everyone's surprise, Lucifer was thrown to the ground and Willow fell back to Earth with a thud.

"You will not harm my friends!" It was Jack. He must have sensed what his father had been about to do, and reacted on instinct.

There was a second where no one moved, and everyone was staring at either Jack or Lucifer. Dean could practically feel the air around them stilling in anticipation, as they waited for the Devil to respond. Everyone held their breaths, the tension palpable.

How would Lucifer react? It was always difficult to pinpoint exactly where his brain would take him in any given situation. And he could jump through moods like a gazelle playing "the floor is lava" game. Dean knew that Lucifer could be persuasive, almost kind. That's how he'd gotten many of his previous vessels, after all. With gentle words and false promises. The fallen angel who seemed so sympathetic and claimed to be the victim. But then there was the sarcastic, pop-culture spewing, singing and dancing Lucifer. The one that had first shown up here today. Dean privately thought that he was the worst version of the Devil. Mostly because of the creep factor. And then there was the sadistic, rage-filled, evil monster. The monstrous creature who spawned the demons and tried to take over the world in a childish need for revenge against the father who'd turned his back on him. The asshat corrupted by the Mark of Cain and who, in turn, corrupted everything around him.

"I'm so proud of how powerful you've become in such a short amount of time, Jack," Lucifer told his son. Dean felt his eyebrows shoot upward on his forehead. Apparently, there was a fourth version of Satan… Loving father? That might be even creepier than the others. Dean shivered at the idea and decided to group it in with the first version. The Liar.

Jack got a disgusted look on his face as he stared at his father. Then, he narrowed his eyes, broke eye-contact with Lucifer, and walked over to where Willow was still lying on the ground. He was so nonchalant about it, Dean would have thought that Jack faced down his evil dad every day. He offered a hand to Willow, who took it and stood up next to him, nodding her thanks. Her dark hair was slowly receding, being replaced by the red that Dean was used to. Her eyes had returned to normal as well. Dean wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing given the situation. Powerful, pissed-off witch might be better to have around than kind, red-headed bookworm when facing down an evil Archangel.

"Leave us, Father. Leave everyone alone," Jack said calmly. Dean almost missed it. If he hadn't been watching so closely, and known Jack so well, he would have. Jack blinked. That was all it was. He was terrified, far more than he was letting on. He had no idea what he was doing and didn't know if this would work at all. Dean had to give the kid credit, it was impressive acting.

Dean inhaled, trying to crush the nerves that rose up in him at the realization that Jack was bluffing, but then cringed when it painfully reminded him of his damaged ribs. Oh yes, there was definitely at least one cracked. Hopefully, that would be all that happened to them today. Quickly glancing around, Dean saw that Giles was still unconscious and Sam was cradling his arm. Thankfully, Buffy and Faith both looked unhurt, apart from a few scrapes and bruises that would probably heal within less than a day, given slayer metabolism.

"Why do you protect them?" Lucifer asked, also standing up and studying his son. He casually brushed the dead wheat and dirt off his pants, and then clapped his hands together to rid those of the filth too. Dust billowed around him as he continued, "They are nothing compared to us. You and me, Jack. We could make this world what it should be." _Oh yes, definitely Door Number 1 – the Liar,_ Dean thought. "This world could be paradise, just as my Father intended. We could rebuild it. Together."

"And what happens to us lowly humans?" Dean asked harshly.

Lucifer practically hissed as he turned to him, but before Dean could be force pushed again, Jack spoke up, "Dean's right. You'll never leave the humans to live in peace."

"And why should I?" Lucifer shot back angrily at his son, eyes glowing again. A cold wind seemed to stir around the Devil as he said it; dark clouds forming overhead in his anger. Thunder could be heard in the distance and the ground under Dean's feet seemed to tremble slightly. "They're vermin. Less than vermin. They're the ants under our feet. They've confused your mind; made you think that you're less than you are. You don't need them. I can show you how to use your powers. You have no idea how strong you truly are. And between you and me, we can rebuild this world the way we want it. Think about it – no more suffering. No more hunger or pain. Just peace and quiet."

"Only because there will be no one else left," Faith muttered. Lucifer's hand shot up, throwing the slayer back 10 feet. She grunted as she landed on her side, but was quickly back on her feet, though she seemed to be favoring her left leg now as she limped back to them. There was a tear in her jeans and a small trickle of blood was spilling from a cut on her calf.

"Stop this!" Jack commanded. And there was a depth, a threat behind his words. It might have been Dean's imagination, but he thought that Jack seemed to grow in stature, a dark aura surrounding him. "They are my family, and you will not harm them anymore," the Nephilim growled. His fingers began to spark again, and his eyes started to glow in that gold way that was unique to Jack.

Uh Oh. That wasn't good. _Please don't lose control again, Jack. You might kill us all!_

On the other hand… he might kill Lucifer too. Maybe losing control _was_ the way to go? Dean would be OK with that if it meant taking down the Devil once and for all. He'd regret the death of his family and friends, but it might be worth it… Hell, if Jack could direct his anger just a little, some of them might even survive – probably Cas and the slayers. Maybe Willow. He could live with that – figuratively speaking.

"Enough of this," Lucifer said, sounding almost bored. He thrust out his chin at Jack, and suddenly the boy was thrown backwards for the first time. Dean felt the crushing weight of Lucifer's binding surround him once again. He thought that if the pressure built any further, his cracked rib would break completely, along with the rest of his body, of course. Sam inadvertently cried out as his hurt arm was pressed against him. That worried Dean; it took a lot to make Sam show his pain. But if they lived through this – Dean knew that his little brother would be OK. Sammy was tough.

Cas still held his angel blade, even as he tried to break free of Lucifer's grasp, though Dean knew that it would be pointless. Lucifer had been right about one thing – with the combined strength of Heaven and Hell at his command, he was far stronger than he'd ever been. Without Jack at full power, they didn't stand a chance.

But Jack seemed to be trapped now too. And now he was letting his fear show, which wasn't a good sign.

Dean felt useless. So far he'd done nothing; just been thrown around like a rag doll. He hadn't managed a single hit when he'd gotten close to Lucifer, and now he was being held in place like an insect on a display board in a museum. _At least Mom's not here,_ he thought gratefully.

Next to him, Faith was almost growling in anger, her eyes displaying a fire that he hadn't seen before. Sam and Buffy were both passive, simply watching the scene. Sam looked like he was trying to think of a way out of this, while Buffy looked like she was wondering how she'd even arrived here and how she could save everyone. Her eyes regularly flicked over to the unmoving body of her watcher.

It was his fault that she was here, of course. She'd followed him and Sam in a stupid attempt to help. He should have followed his instincts and sent her home. What could she do against the Devil anyway? Even if she was the longest living slayer in history. Willow… she could make a difference, but Dean didn't really see how Buffy or Faith were going to help in this kind of fight. And the old watcher? Still unconscious. Whatever he'd done to free Willow had clearly cost him dearly. Dean couldn't tell if he was even breathing. Maybe the spell he'd cast had taken everything he had. And if that was the case, then he'd just cost Buffy her watcher too.

Awesome. Just one more item to add to the "list of things that Dean has screwed up."

Lucifer walked over to Willow, looking like a man who just discovered his ex-wife kicking his dog. Murder was clear in his eyes. He stood less than a foot in front of her, studying her face.

"You, Ms. Ginger, should have ended the world when you had the chance. I liked you a lot more that way. Far more interesting than this half-in-half-out bitch that I see now. I'll make sure that the person who stopped you suffers before he dies. I can promise you that. And as for you wife and daughter? They'll quickly join him. You, on the other hand, are too irritating to allow to live for long," Lucifer smiled at her. Yes, it was clear that Lucifer deemed Willow his biggest threat. Not Jack or Cas. Not the slayers, and certainly not the Winchesters. The tiny and friendly witch. Suddenly, Dean wondered if he'd underestimated her strength. And that was the second time that someone had mentioned Willow trying to end the world. _Note to self: don't piss off the small witch._

Willow's eyes immediately went black again, her hair quickly following suit. She was angry – really angry. Clearly Lucifer hadn't gotten the memo that Dean had just written to himself. Despite being frozen in place, fire formed in Willow's palm and shot at Lucifer's middle. Flames flew in all directions around him as he was struck and it hit him before he could react, due to their close proximity. His clothes caught fire.

And so did Willow's, as she cried out in pain.

"Will! No!" Buffy shouted from where she was stuck. But the fire worked to distract Lucifer enough to allow Jack to break free of his father's hold. Despite his best effort, Dean was unable to break away as well. It appeared that the grip on everyone else still held.

Jack quickly raised his hands and put out the fire on Willow's clothes where they'd caught. Dean could see angry burns on her skin underneath and her face clearly showed that she was in pain.

Lucifer had put out his own flames in less than a second, and seemed amused by what had happened. He snapped his fingers and Willow's clothes burst into flames again. Willow screamed and Dean felt completely helpless. Buffy was shouting Willow's name, fear clearly written on her face. Lucifer smiled in pleasure.

Jack yelled too, running and actually tackling his father to the ground. Thankfully, the flames around Willow wilted, going out. Some of Willow's hair was singed and a good portion of her shirt and pants had burned away, leaving her raw and blistering skin exposed in places. Tears were streaking down her smoke-blackened face, but she was no longer screaming. In fact, she looked angry again.

Dean wasn't sure if Jack had put out the fire, or if Lucifer's distraction had removed the magic controlling the flames. Or maybe Willow had done it because she was moving again. And so was Cas. The two of them were quickly descending on Lucifer, who was still pinned under Jack. But Dean found that he still couldn't move. And apparently neither could any of the others. Lucifer had managed to maintain his grip on the humans, it would seem, but not those with powerful magic.

"ENOUGH!" Lucifer shouted, blasting Jack, Cas, and Willow backward. "Clearly, you need to learn some respect for your father, Jack. But don't worry, you'll come around soon enough." All four of them were getting to their feet, but Lucifer clearly still had the upper-hand. "I'm sorry, son. But this is a lesson you need to learn. One day, you'll thank me for this."

And then Lucifer raised his hand, and Dean's fears immediately came to light. Lucifer snapped his fingers.

 _No! No! Not again! Please not again!_

There were cries of anguish from all around, and Dean found that he was shouting, though he had no idea what the words were that were coming out of his mouth. Tears were streaming down his face, but he couldn't stop yelling obscenities at the Devil. Is that was he was yelling? Curses? Or maybe he was begging for him to undo it? Dean wasn't sure. Nearby, Sam, Buffy, and Faith were all yelling too. But again, Dean couldn't tell what was being said. There were too many words. And tears coming from everyone, except Faith, who was clearly in a rage. Were there too many words? Dean knew that they were all shouting, but at the same time, he couldn't really hear anything, as though someone had turned down the volume. His skin felt cold and he knew that the blood had drained from his face in shock.

Cas.

Willow.

They were both gone. Lucifer had exploded them both, like he'd done to Cas all those years ago, when he'd been in Sam's body.

Gone.

Cas – who'd just gotten his wings back and was so happy to be returned to his old self again. And Willow. Sweet, kind, brilliant Willow. Who liked to tease Buffy, just like Sam teased Dean. Willow – who had a wife and daughter waiting for her at home. Oh god. What just happened? _Not again!_

Lucifer looked pleased with himself and Jack was clearly in shock, staring at where Cas and Willow had been. Lucifer smiled wickedly at Sam and Dean, "Déjà vu, eh, boys?" He laughed cruelly. "But sadly, Daddy's not here to fix old Cassie this time. Too bad… so sad." He looked around at everyone remaining, most of whom were still shouting threats at the Devil. "Quiet," he said simply.

Dean felt the words he was yelling die in his mouth. Those around him were still moving their lips too, but no sound came. Lucifer had silenced them all. And he smiled. "Who's next? Maybe one of the pretty slayers?" he walked over to Faith and Buffy, both of whom were staring daggers at him, neither really afraid – just angry. Then he eyed Sam and Dean, "Or maybe one of the Marx Brothers? You've both been such a pain in my ass for so long…" But then he turned, eyeing the crumpled body of Giles. "Or maybe the old man. The father figure always has to die, doesn't he? You read any story, watch any movie, and that's always how it plays out. For 'our hero' to save the day, his teacher has to die. That doesn't seem right, does it? Or maybe that's just the way it has to go… How else will our hero grow and learn? Yes, I think that is the right way to go…" He raised his hand again, ready to snap Giles out of existence. Buffy was clearly trying to scream, anger replaced by desperation, but still no sound came out. Tears were streaming down her face in fear, and Dean wished there was something – anything – he could do to stop this. Even Faith looked unnerved, apparently trying to break out of the bonds still holding them all.

Jack turned slowly to face his father. This time, it was obvious what Jack was feeling. Wrath. And hatred. They were written all over his face. "No," he said quietly. Dangerously.

"I'm sorry, son. But this is for your own good. They are confusing you, and you need to have these insects squashed before they infect you."

"No," Jack said again. He was walking forward now. His eyes were glowing, but his fingers were not sparking. Dean wasn't sure what to make of it. A bright aura formed around him as he slowly spread his arms, and then there were flashes of dark lightening, and Jack's wings were clearly visible rising behind him. And for the first time, Lucifer actually looked a bit scared. "Your Father may not be here to bring them back. But I am, and I am not going to lose any more family today."

And as Dean watched, Jack's aura brightened further, and he rose into the air, his wings clearly visible. Lucifer squinted, trying not to take his eyes off of his extremely powerful son. Lightning flashed brightly and Dean blinked several times, trying to get the afterimage out of his vision. What he saw was amazing.

Cas and Willow were once again standing where they'd been only moments before. Willow looked around, confused, and Dean heard Buffy gasp audibly. Cas was looking at Jack with pride on his face. Suddenly, Dean realized that he could breathe normally again. The pressure that had been holding him was gone. Buffy immediately ran to Willow and hugged her best friend. When she released her, she was staring at her in disbelief. The tears that she'd been shedding before were now coming again, but for a very different reason.

"Cas, you OK?" Sam asked, walking to the angel and hugging him, his voice sounding slightly hoarse. The others were all gathering around Jack, Cas, and Willow now, happy to have them all back and whole. Willow's burns appeared to be gone.

"I'm fine, Sam," Cas responded, smiling.

"Dude, you gotta stop doin' this to us," Dean said with a wry smile, grabbing Cas' hand and pulling him into a quick hug.

"Isn't this sweet?" came Lucifer's voice. This time, it appeared that Lucifer was the one frozen in place. "It doesn't change anything, Jack. Eventually, they will turn on you. They will see you as nothing more than an extension of me. It would be better for you if you just joined me now."

So, apparently Lucifer had decided to change tact. At his words, Dean felt immediate guilt and fear, and looked over to see a flicker of doubt cross Jack's face. And it was all that Lucifer needed to break free.

"No, Jack," Dean said quickly, before Lucifer could get control again. "We don't see you that way. Family. Jack. We're family. I promise."

Jack met his eyes, and time seemed to stand still for a moment while Jack tried to read Dean – searching for the truth in his words. And then he smiled, and time resumed its normal pace. Jack believed him, and it was all he needed. He turned back to face Lucifer.

"I'm more powerful than you, Father. And I will not allow you to hurt anyone else. Ever again."

Lucifer laughed, "You can't kill me. You don't have it in you."

"End it, Jack," came a voice from behind Lucifer, surprising everyone. Giles had apparently woken up. He was still on the ground, breathing heavily and clutching his chest, but he was holding Jack's gaze steadily. "End it now."

Jack glanced around, and everyone was nodding at him, encouraging him to take his father out. This was it, Dean told himself. They were finally going to be rid of Lucifer once and for all.

"You're the only one that can do this, Jack," Dean said.

"We believe in you, Jack," Sam added. Buffy and Faith were nodding vigorously. Cas was watching Jack, a look of confidence on his face.

Jack nodded and approached his father, who was still smiling in an unconcerned way. Jack reached his arm out, and a long, gold blade appeared in his hand. Dean thought that it looked similar to a Archangel blade, but wasn't quite the same. It was longer, almost a sword, but the handle was plain, more like a regular angel blade. But the blade was twisted slightly and shone in the light. Lucifer glanced at it, and his smile faded as his eyes widened.

"This is ridiculous," he said. "I am your father. You should join me and we can rule this world as father and son. Make it how it _should_ be. I'll even let your friends live."

"Really, Darth? You're gunna go full _Empire_ on us?" Dean asked, shaking his head. Dean heard Sam chuckle at that, but he noticed Buffy rolling her eyes.

"I can't let you keep hurting people," Jack said simply, ignoring Dean. He raised his blade, but then the sound of dry wheat crunching under tires met their ears. Every eye sought out the sound, and Dean saw a car pulling up to them. _No! What the hell is she doing here? She's supposed to be home - resting and safe!_

Mary was sitting in the driver's seat, and she looked terrified. Dean saw her take in the sight before her and then her eyes met Jack's. And Jack lowered his blade. _No kid! What are you doing?!_

"I can't do it."

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor conflicted Jack... :-) I hope you enjoyed this. I will admit that I found it difficult finding Lucifer's voice in this chapter and I hope it wasn't too far off. I also want to apologize for any typos that may have escaped my proofreading. I've tried to catch them all, but sometimes you just don't notice them even after multiple proofreads.

I also want to thank everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! It really means a lot! So, thank you!

Reviews?


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22  
Lebanon, KS  
Abandoned Wheat Field

"Jack, what are you doing?" asked Cas anxiously.

A car door slammed, and Mary quickly walked over to them all. She looked both concerned and nervous. She eyed the scene before her, before joining the group facing Lucifer. To her credit, she didn't ask what was going on. Sam and Dean both looked ready to question her as to what she was even doing there, but she simply shook her head, clearly indicating that now wasn't the time to question her actions.

Buffy had to fight the urge to shift her weight from foot to foot. There was a tension in the air and it seemed like no one was breathing. The clouds overhead were dark and still, and no wind caught Buffy's hair, as though the earth itself was waiting for Jack to make a move that, apparently, wasn't going to come.

What had gotten into the boy's head? Hadn't they stressed enough the dangers of Lucifer? Jack couldn't be serious, could he? After everything, why wouldn't he stop the Devil?

 _He's just a kid_ , she realized. He's like how Dawn was after she was first given human form. His shape doesn't match his age, and he's trying to come to terms with being an adult without any real experience. Dawn was immature and selfish when she'd first come into being. Jack was trying to understand right versus wrong in a crazy, mixed-up universe. But unlike Dawn, Jack has powers that he can only barely control, and in a way, that actually makes it worse, doesn't it?

Here's a man, who looks like a college student, with the power to bend and shape reality to his whim. He's being trained by two men, with (let's face it) extremely screwed up lives and morals, and an angel, who constantly rebels against his siblings, to the point of more than one civil war. And while he looks like a young man, he's less than a year old and trying to understand what these men are teaching him. But like Dawn all those years ago, his emotions and reactions are still immature and don't match his physical body.

And they've been putting so much pressure on him. They told an 8 month old that it was his responsibility to kill his father, the Devil? What had they been thinking? Buffy should have known that he wouldn't be able to handle that emotionally. Just like when Dawn had found out that she was the Key. Hell, even Buffy still didn't kill people, though she knew that those around her had… If she couldn't do it, how could they ask Jack to?

But then again, Lucifer wasn't exactly a person, now was he?

All these thoughts hit Buffy like a wave, while she tried her best to look unsurprised. The people around her were showing several levels of emotion on their faces. Dean, Mary, and Cas were watching Jack with concern. Sam was staring at Lucifer with an obvious level of hatred that frightened Buffy. Although… all things considered, it made sense that Sam would hate this creature.

Faith and Giles were watching Lucifer cautiously, trying to make sure that he wouldn't try anything after Jack's hesitation. Willow's head was on a slow swivel back and forth between Lucifer and Jack. Her hair had returned to normal after her resurrection.

Buffy still couldn't believe that she'd almost lost Willow – that she _had_ lost Willow for a moment there. Willow. Strong, resilient, _powerful_. With all that power and still Lucifer could simply snap her out of existence like that. But then, he'd had the full force of both heaven and hell at his command – and all the souls within both to call upon. With power like that, it was hard to imagine ever coming up against something more powerful. Glory was the only being that came to mind when Buffy's thoughts inevitably tried to match Lucifer up against something she'd faced in the past. And she was certain that Lucifer could have easily defeated Glory at his current strength.

And yet, he was still being held in place by this young, confused kid.

Jack had been about to kill his father, Buffy was sure of that. But then he'd stopped when he saw Mary. Why? Because he'd hurt her and he cared about her? Because she was a parent and somehow having one parent here made him realize that Lucifer was the only parent he had? That sort of made sense… kinda. Buffy shook her head, realizing that she may never understand exactly what was going on in the kid's head to make him decide to stop.

Jack's gaze never left Lucifer's face. The Devil was still on the ground, looking back at his son, an almost amused expression on his face. He looked practically bored. Like everyone else, he was waiting to see what Jack would do next.

And then Buffy realized that they weren't alone. People were starting to surround them. Some were walking toward them, while others simply appeared where they stood. Buffy felt the familiar stir in the back of her mind that, for some reason, always reminded her of exhaust fumes. And the distinct smell of sulfer was a dead giveaway too. Demons. Black eyes were watching them from all angles.

But not all of them were demons, she was sure of that. Faith had looked up suddenly too, glancing around at the ones Buffy couldn't get a read on. Angels, she realized. Faith was sensing them and she was suddenly on high alert. It was obvious from her posture that she distrusted the angels far more than the demons, which almost told Buffy more than all the stories that the Winchesters had relayed to her over the last several weeks combined.

The angels were mostly walking toward them, though a few seemed to appear with some demons next to them, and neither the angels nor the demons were making any moves. They appeared to just be watching the events between Lucifer and Jack play out. Why? Buffy thought she understood why the angels weren't moving. They wanted to see who would win, and if Jack could really restore their wings, then they wanted to be here to witness Lucifer's downfall. But why were the demons not attacking? Surely they would be on Satan's side, right? Something wasn't adding up there.

And how did they all know that they were even here? _Willow's dome!_ Buffy realized. When it had collapsed, all the powers of Willow, Jack, and Lucifer were suddenly exposed. And the angels and demons came running to see what was happening. Or maybe Lucifer himself had let it slip, not realizing that they might not support him.

Finally, Jack slowly stepped forward toward his father. He squatted down, looking him in the face, studying him carefully. Still, Lucifer simply looked bored. He didn't say anything, opting to allow his son a good look at him.

Jack eventually spoke. "You don't actually look like much, do you?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Lucifer actually laughed, "You should have seen Dad." A few of the angels shifted uncomfortably at that. Faith was watching them avidly. She looked ready to fight, her hands in tight fists, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, as though ready to spring. Her obvious unease was unsettling to Buffy, who'd never really known Faith to show fear.

"I can't let you go," Jack said simply.

"And you can't kill me," Lucifer finished. "So, now what? You going to lock me up? We've all seen how well _that's_ worked over the years." He smiled in a disturbing fashion that sent a chill up Buffy's spine.

Jack narrowed his eyes, as though considering his options. But Lucifer was right, what other options did they have? They could either kill him – which Jack wasn't going to do – or let him go – which certainly wasn't an option – or they could lock him up again. And risk him breaking out. Again. A mistake once made is doomed to be repeated. Jack must see that the only option was to end him? Buffy silently prayed to Jack to come to this conclusion. Idly, she realized that it's possible he could actually hear her prayers… that's weird.

And then Jack did something that Buffy hadn't expected. He closed his eyes and placed his palm on his father's head. A white light emanated from both of them, and Buffy could feel the surprise and confusion from everyone around them, humans, angels, and demons alike. What was he doing?

And then Lucifer started screaming. His mouth and eyes opened wide, and a blinding light poured out of them. Buffy couldn't help but close her eyes and look away so as to not burn her retinas. The Devil's screaming echoed around the field and Buffy knew that something serious was happening, though she didn't have a clue as to what.

The wind started to blow again, and she felt her hair whip around her face, and though she might have imagined it, she thought she heard thunder booming in the distance. _What the hell is that kid doing?!_

And then it all stopped at once. Buffy opened her eyes, trying to blink through the afterimages of the light. Lucifer had collapsed to the ground, eyes closed. Jack himself was sitting on his heels, looking tired, but otherwise OK. He was watching his father's body carefully. Had Jack actually killed him? Maybe her prayers had gone through to the kid after all?

But then Satan opened his eyes and blinked several times. Wearily, he sat up and looked around, clearly confused for a moment. Then he suddenly looked down as though realizing something. And just as quickly, he looked up at his son, his face actually showing panic.

"What did you just do?" came Willow's breathy voice, almost a whisper. She was gazing at Lucifer and Jack with a confused look on her face. Her arms were wrapped around her body, in a protective fashion, which surprised Buffy. Willow didn't usually allow herself to appear weak anymore. The rips in her clothes were blowing softly in the wind, and it almost looked like she was simply cold.

"I made him human," Jack stated matter-of-factly. "No grace. No wings. And he can no longer sense or hear other angels."

"Oh, is that all?" Mary asked, almost sarcastically.

"He can no longer touch any weapon of any kind," Jack added.

Buffy blinked. He could do that? The others were all staring at Jack in disbelief too. The angels were gazing at Jack with a mixture of awe and fear on their faces. Buffy was all too familiar with the look. It was the same look she often saw on the young slayers' faces. The demons didn't show any sign of how they felt about this turn of events. A few looked angry, others relieved. But none of them – angels or demons – made a move to interfere.

"Jack," Dean suddenly exclaimed. "This is no time to go full Aang: the Last Airbender on us!" There was a moment of silence after this, while everyone looked at Dean, mostly with blank faces. Willow, however, chuckled slightly and Sam gave his brother a look that clearly said, "Really, dude? Not the time." Buffy was confused along with everyone else, though. _Aang: The Last Airbender? What the hell does that mean?_ Dean continued as though no one was looking at him like he'd lost his mind. In fact, he was giving Jack the same look that everyone else was briefly giving him. "We can't let him go. After all the things that he's done, he needs to be put down."

"I'm not a dog, you little ape," Lucifer hissed to Dean. He looked angry. "Undo this, son. You can't leave me like this, I am your father, and you will do as you're told."

"No," Jack said quickly. "I won't kill you, but I can't let you remain as you were. I promise that no angels or demons will be able to find you or harm you. You will live out your life as a mortal man. And then die as one."

"Jack," Cas said, almost pleadingly, "think about this. Think about the atrocities that he has committed."

"Kill him," an angel suddenly cried out. She looked angry, practically shaking in rage and an angel blade fell into her hands. The anger on her tanned face seemed a contradiction to the bright yellow dress that she was wearing. The dress was sleeveless and much too short for the season. Buffy thought she must be cold, but then remembered that she was an angel and probably didn't feel the temperature either way. Where had the blade even come from? Whenever she'd seen an angel do that so far, they'd always been wearing long sleeves and she'd assume that they were hidden inside…

"Do you know what he made us do?" cried a large woman in her 20s. She was wearing a track suit and was also suddenly grasping a silvery blade. Looking closely at her, Buffy vaguely wondered if her vessel was transgender.

"We were forced to work with demons!" responded a tall man in a suit, at the back of the ring of onlookers. Buffy could just make out a long pointed face and a close-cropped hair cut.

"If you won't do it, then we will," said an African man who looked to be in his late 60's. His Kenyan accent was strong, and his dark eyes glared with fire toward the Archangel.

Angel blades were suddenly appearing in hand after hand, and the angels began to advance on Lucifer. The Devil actually looked nervous as the glanced around at his brothers and sisters.

"No!" shouted Jack. He threw his hands out, and all the angels were pushed backward. None of them fell, but most of them appeared startled.

"They're right, Jack," Mary said, sounding as though she were trying to be gentle with a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. "He can't be allowed to live."

And for the first time, Jack looked like he was double thinking his decision. At his hesitation, the angels started calling for Lucifer's blood again, while the Scoobies and the Winchesters were trying to calmly persuade Jack to end his father. Buffy didn't say anything, she saw the toll that this was taking on Jack, and couldn't help but think about Dawn all those years ago. She could almost see Jack screaming "Get out! Get out! Get out!" Thank the gods that Dawn had grown out of that. Buffy was sure that Jack would grow out of his confusion and self-doubt soon enough too… but Buffy doubted that it would happen today, which was unfortunate.

"Stop!" Jack screamed. The blade that he'd been holding vanished in a puff of smoke. Buffy flinched at the command and everyone was suddenly silenced. His voice had been magnified and somehow deepened and maybe she was imagining it, but it seemed like he was suddenly taller – more imposing. And… did the angels look legitimately scared now. They all staring at Jack with wide eyes. Even Lucifer looked surprised as he gazed at his son.

And then Jack waved a hand and Lucifer vanished. There was a collective gasp as everyone looked to where he'd been sitting moments before. Lucifer's Archangel blade fell to the ground where he'd been.

"What…" was all Buffy managed to get out, still staring at the sword.

"I sent him away," Jack said simply. And then he turned and addressed the gathered angels and demons. "You will not be able to find him. Do not try. You get one warning."

A few of the demons exchanged glances before disappearing one by one. No doubt, they were going to start fighting amongst themselves as to who the new ruler of hell would be. No Lucifer. No Crowley. No more Knights or Princes of Hell…. Maybe Earth will get a break from demon actively while they fight? Or maybe it'll get worse with no one in control. Buffy couldn't really think about it for the time being.

The angels didn't leave. Instead, a few of them cautiously approached Jack.

A short Indian man, with little hair, stepped up first, "We understand that you have restored Castiel's wings. We would ask that you restore ours as well."

"That's bold, considering you dicks were all trying to kill him not 6 months ago," Dean shot back. The angel threw Dean an angry look. Dean matched the man's glare with one of his own.

"I suggest you all return to heaven," Cas said, the angels' attention moving to him. Some of them looked at him almost as hatefully as they had looked at Lucifer. Buffy knew that Cas was a sore subject for a lot of angels, but she wasn't sure that he deserved that. Hadn't he helped save the world multiple times at this point? Dean was right – angels were dicks.

Cas didn't flinch under the look that the angels gave him. In fact, he looked almost resigned. He sighed deeply before saying, "Jack and I will meet you there and we can work out how to move forward from here."

A few of the angels nodded and turned to leave. One or two even smiled at Jack or Cas. Maybe they could learn? The group around Buffy watched the angels leave in silence. Until Dean broke it, of course.

"Mom! What are you even doing here?" he asked anxiously, turning to face the blonde woman.

"Well, there was a small earthquake. And when none of you answered your phones, I got worried. Plus, I was bored, so I came out to make sure you were OK," Mary explained.

Buffy blinked in surprise. Dean and Sam looked equally confused as they all took out their phones. Sure enough, Sam and Dean had several missed calls from Mary, as did Jack, Giles, and Cas. Even Buffy had a single missed call. Why hadn't any of their phones rang? Could Lucifer have cut them off? There's no way that they all simply missed the calls.

"Awesome," Dean muttered, putting his phone back into his pocket and looking sour.

"You felt the earthquake?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. The whole bunker shook. I mean, it wasn't California huge or anything, but it was enough to knock a few things off the shelves," she said. "Was that Lucifer?"

"Yes," Cas said. "He was not happy with us at that point."

"Understatement," Dean murmured.

"Listen," Cas said, turning particularly to Sam and Dean. "There's going to be chaos in heaven with no leader in place after Lucifer. Jack and I will need to go up and help sort things out."

"You sure that's the best idea?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, and I'm still not a fan of leaving Lucifer just out there somewhere. He could get into all sorts of trouble, even without his powers," Dean said, looking pointedly at Jack. Jack met his look evenly, but didn't respond.

"And it's unlikely he will take this lying down," Giles put in. "I agree. I think we should…"

"Enough," Jack cut him off. "My father is no longer a threat. Now if Cas says that we need to go to heaven, then that is what we'll do."

Sam turned to Cas, "And if the angels try to kill either of you again?"

"Then I'll stop them," Jack said smoothly. "And I won't restore their wings."

"And we're sure that _that's_ still a good idea?" Faith said pointedly. "I totally prefer them wingless." Dean nodded in agreement.

"My brothers and sisters have seen much in these past years. I'm hoping they will be more receptive than in the past," Cas said. And just like that, he put his hand on Jack's shoulder, and they both disappeared. Apparently that really was the end of the conversation. Buffy caught Dean rolling his eyes at the abrupt departure.

"Now what?" Buffy asked.

"Look, I know what Jack said, but we can't allow the freaking Devil the roam the Earth free," Dean said.

Sam sighed, "Let's head back to the bunker. We can discuss it more there."

Upon returning home – wait… when had Buffy started to think of the bunker as "home?" – they all sat down tiredly in the library. There had been a brief fight over whether Mary should go back to bed as she was still healing ("bed rest doesn't have to be taken literally!" she'd pointed out). After Mary won that argument, with some backup from Giles, no one said much, not sure where to start.

"We can't let Lucifer go," Sam finally said.

"You propose we hunt him down against the wishes of the all-powerful Nephilim?" Faith asked pointedly. Sam scowled.

"Look," Buffy said. "I get where you're all coming from. But Jack said that he's human now. And he can't even touch weapons…"

"How could Jack even do that, by the way?" Dean interrupted. "Make it so someone can't touch a weapon. I mean – what qualifies? Can he pick up a steak knife for dinner? Or is a lighter considered a weapon? That's a bit subjective, don't'cha think?"

Buffy briefly glanced at Willow and Giles before answering. Willow had a hint of a smile on her face, she was thinking the same thing. "Well, we've actually seen something like this before. If it's similar to that, then it comes down to intent. If Lucifer _intends_ to use something to cause harm, then he won't be able to touch it. If his intention is pure, then he should have no problem."

"Uh huh," Dean muttered skeptically. "I'm fairly certain that nothing Lucifer will ever intend could be defined as 'pure.'"

"Well, then he's going to have a hard time as a human," Willow said. "I think Buffy's right – intent is the key. And if that is the case, then we really have nothing to fear from Lucifer."

"You don't know him like we do," Sam said quietly.

Silence followed this statement as everyone became absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Mary spoke. "We need to put our trust in Jack. If we really want him to feel that he's a part of this family, then trusting him is the only course of action. If he wants us to leave Lucifer alone, then that is what we'll do."

There was a moment of hesitation while everyone considered Mary's words. Dean was the first to nod his head in agreement. Buffy smiled at the man who liked to pretend he was this hard-ass hunter, but was really just an older brother. And he was giving the kid the benefit of the doubt. He noticed her smile, and he smiled back, meeting her eyes. She nodded too.

Sam and Faith looked ready to continue arguing, but when they saw the looks they were getting, particularly from Dean, they both decided against it. Willow and Giles simply seemed to accept the group's decision and didn't say anything more about it.

"Well," Giles said, standing up. "I guess that this means our work here is done." He looked around at Willow, Buffy, and Faith. "We should be heading back out to Cleveland."

Buffy felt her eyes widen in surprise. She hadn't even considered that this would mean the end of her stay here.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, standing up too. "I think I'd like to see my wife and daughter again. I've been away far too long. And Malina keeps texting me about the state of things in the coven. She's worried about Rowena, now that we know that she has the _Black Grimoire_ and her powers are fully restored." She looked pointedly at the Winchester brothers. Sam had the grace to look slightly ashamed.

"If you find out that she's up to something evil, or hurting people, let us know. We'll hunt her down, as promised," Dean said. This made Willow smile and then she laughed, nodding.

"Well, personally," Faith said. She made no move to stand up, instead leaning back in her chair and putting her feet up on the table. "I'm not going anywhere until I've heard what's happened with the angels and heaven." She eyed Sam. Actually, she almost ogled at him. "Hope you don't mind if I stick around a while longer? Besides, I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of going back to the Slayer group home."

Suddenly, Buffy was sure that Faith was planning to seduce Sam again… Weird, Faith didn't usually go for the same guy twice – maybe the apocalypse universe had changed her after all. Sam looked suddenly uncomfortable and his big brother looked amused.

"Of course not, Faith. You're welcome to stay as looong as you want," Dean said, clapping Sam on the back, a slight twinkle in his eye.

Giles cleared his throat pointedly and turned, walking toward the bedrooms. "Well then, I think the rest of us should pack up. Buffy, Willow?"

Willow made to follow him, but Dean caught Buffy's eye, the amusement from a moment ago vanishing. She hesitated. And then she realized that Faith had given her a good excuse. "Actually, if the guys don't mind. I'm going to stick around too." Was that hope on Dean's face? _And don't look at me like that, Willow! Or you, Faith!_ _Ugh! Sam! Not you too!_ She continued, trying to ignore the pointed smirks her friends were giving her, instead speaking mostly to Giles. "I'd like to see how things went for Cas and Jack in heaven too. And I'd like to be here when Jack returns. Make sure that he knows that while we might not necessarily agree with his decision, that we support it."

"Of course," Willow said, the corners of her mouth tilting upward in a teasing manner. "You should stay. For _Jack_."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her best friend, but decided to let it go.

"Great. Then it's decided then. B and I will stick around, and you guys can go home to the wannabes," Faith said cheerfully.

"Ripper," Mary said, suddenly standing up. "I mean… Rupert." Giles turned back to look curiously at his old friend. "Mind if I join you? I'd love to see the operation you have set up. And… maybe I can help out a bit with the slayers and watchers?"

"I would love that, Mary," Giles said, smiling, and sounding genuinely pleased.

"Fair warning," Willow said. "Andrew may freak out a little when he meets you. You should have seen him with your sons."

"Why?" Mary asked, sounding a little weirded out.

Giles, Mary, and Willow walked out of the library toward their rooms to pack up, Willow trying to describe Andrew to Mary as they went.

"So, what do you boys do for fun around here? You know… when the world's _not_ ending?" Faith asked.

In response, Dean went to the mini-fridge and pulled out 3 beers and a Mike's Hard Lemonade. "We hunt. And we drink." Sam and Faith both laughed, opening the beers that he handed them. Buffy took her Mike's with a grin.

Dean sat back down and Sam said, "Fair warning. When Cas goes to heaven, sometimes he can be gone for weeks at a time. And I don't think this particular visit is going to be simple. It might be a while."

"So, what are you gunna do in the meantime?" Faith asked.

"We hunt," Dean repeated simply. "That going to be OK with you? You're welcome to just stick around here if you don't wanna join us. I know that you were retired before we dragged you into all of this." He looked at Buffy as he said the last sentence.

"No worries. The two of us can hunt better than most. And correct me if I'm wrong here, B, but I don't think retirement suited you very well. And I didn't even get to see it," Faith laughed.

"Don't worry about us. We'll join you. Or…" Buffy smiled, "maybe we'll go on our own hunts."

Dean laughed and took a sip of his beer, "sounds like a plan."

Buffy met Dean's eyes again as he lowered his bottle and smiled at the genuine look she saw there. He was happy she was staying. And his walls were down.

XXXX

1 Month Later  
Austin, TX  
Shoal Creek Trail near The Bowie

Death! Death to all of them! Every last one of them is going to die! They are going to beg for mercy and scream as their flesh peels away from their bones. The flames are going to sear into their muscles and leave their nerves severed as they cry for mercy. And they will be shown none. And then he would drag them to hell where he could really have some fun.

Castiel. Sam Winchester. Dean Winchester. Willow Rosenberg. Buffy Summers. Mary Winchester. He didn't know or care about the names of the others, but they would all pay for this too.

Lucifer shivered, despite the warm Texas weather. He'd taken to begging again. Not that anyone ever seemed to be interested in giving him anything. And why not? He was an attractive man, wasn't he? He saw other beggars getting food and coins from people – why not him? He was the Morning Star. God's most beautiful angel. So why the hell did these stupid apes keep ignoring him?! They would all be punished too. One day, all the peoples of this world will burn, and he will be there to relish in the destruction. They all have it coming.

Hunger and dehydration had to be the worst torture in the world. Why didn't the torturers in hell ever use that? Do the souls trapped in hell even need food or water? Lucifer had never really thought about it before, being unjustly trapped in the cage and all. Well, they would when he got his power back. He could be sure of that. He would make those souls beg and plead for food. Water. Oh yes. They would all beg. And he would consume their souls in the pit. Taking their strength for himself – which was, naturally, his right. He was superior to them. To all of them. Humans. Angels. Demons. God. He was better than all of them. The injustice of it all enraged him. Why should a divine creature like himself be forced down before bacteria? It defied the natural order. The indignity of it.

Death. Death would come to them all.

And the angels would be punished for betraying him, of course. They'd turned on him in that stupid field. They'd pledged their loyalty, and yet they didn't raise a finger to stop his son. In fact, they'd tried to get Jack to kill him. Those traitors. They would be punished just as fiercely as the others. Maybe more so. They were supposed to be his brothers and sisters. Like Michael. Like Gabriel. Like Raphael. Betrayed by his own kin. And yet he still loved them. So why didn't they love him back? Traitors, all because he wasn't a puppet like the rest of them.

The image of his son looming over him swam before his eyes as he dragged himself over to yet another garbage can, hoping to find something to eat. It was incredible how repulsive being human was. You intake food and water, and then you have to expel it. Just filthy. And his son had made him this way. The gall. The nerve. The insolence. Well, that would just have to be beaten out of the boy when he got his power back. And once he was under control, they would rule heaven, hell, and Earth – together.

He found a Coke can in the trash and turned it upside down over his mouth. A few drops fell onto his parched tongue and he had to resist the urge to wipe his tongue on his sleeve at the revolting flavor. Humans drank this rubbish? Disgusting. And yet, he kept digging, throwing the can into the trees nearby, scaring a squirrel. Vermin. They were all just vermin like that stupid squirrel. Ooh… now there was a thought. That squirrel could be dinner, if he could just catch… nope. It was already gone. An Archangel. God's own favorite, reduced to dumpster diving and contemplating eating a rodent. And he couldn't even catch it!

How had he fallen this far? The answer was obvious, of course – God. Deadbeat Dad made him this way, and now here he was – trash digging through trash. _They will all pay for this!_

The sun was beginning to set and he could feel the temperature dropping as he found a crumpled McDonald's bag. It would probably be another chilly night. He was going to have to find some way to stay warm at night if this continued. He ripped open the bag to find a an empty burger box, with only grease stains inside. He tossed that into the trees too. Hopefully, that squirrel will find it later and choke on it. That would be justice.

But how could he get his powers back? That was the real question. Jack had done something to him. He couldn't hear the angels talking anymore, and he couldn't even sense if there was a human nearby without seeing or hearing them. How did humans even function like this? It was appalling. But his castigation had gone even further than the indignity of being made human. No. Jack had said that Lucifer would never be able to touch another weapon.

For the first time since he'd found himself in this new life, he contemplated his son's words. How could he even do that? He didn't have that kind of power. And even if he did, he lacked Lucifer's imagination. Anything could be a weapon if you tried hard enough. Hell, hands were weapons. Teeth were weapons. He looked into the trash again and smiled.

He reached in and pulled out a glass beer bottle. Not a weapon. Just a bottle. He held an image in his mind of slitting Dean Winchester's throat with the broken glass from the bottle, and suddenly the bottle was thrown from his hand. What the hell?

The bottle broke into pieces when it hit the ground a few feet away. He reached for one of the broken shards, but his hand stopped 2 inches from the glass. He couldn't pick up the glass. That clever little bastard. Oh yes, he would be getting a good beating when he got his powers back.

He went back to the trash, which he'd practically eviscerated, the innards of which were scattered on the ground around the can. He groaned. There was nothing left inside. And his stomach was growling.

He pulled his jacket – which he'd found in a dumpster on the street – tightly around himself and he moved on. He'd originally tried staying on the streets, but found that people threw him dirty looks, even when he was legitimately trying to be polite. Surely, they couldn't _know_ that he was plotting their deaths at that moment. Most humans weren't intelligent enough to pick up on anything.

And yet he'd been thwarted by those idiotic, flannel-wearing, tool-bags so many times, it was humiliating. And they, and that goody-two-shoes, trench-coated, wannabe brother of his, had turned his own son against him. Maybe he'd carve a plaid pattern into their skin when he finally had them. That seemed appropriate.

He walked along the plant-lined path that ran under a highway underpass above. He could hear the sounds of the cars whizzing by as his stomach growled once again in protest at the lack of food. He looked at water dripping down from the street above down near the concrete wall and resignedly opened his mouth to intake what he could.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

He started imagining punching Sam Winchester in the face. Over and over and over again. Like he'd once done to his brother all those years ago. He tried to curl his hand into the fist, but found that he couldn't do it. Seriously? He couldn't even make a fist if he considered it as a way to hurt someone? This is bullshit!

But he'd find a way… Oh yes, he would. He always did. He was Lucifer, damnit. He was the Goddamned Devil (literally). He would rise again, and then they would be sorry. And, oh, how his son would be sorry. And once he'd learned his lesson, he would forgive his son. Of course he would. He loved him after all. And he would be a better father than his had been. He would never cast out his son and lock him in a pit for millennia. No, he would be a better father, and once they'd taken over the universe, he'd be a better God.

And they would make this world the paradise that it should have been from the beginning. Peaceful. Warm. And they would be happy.

Once all the pests were taken care of. Then, they would be happy.

He closed his mouth after several swallows of the metallic tasting water. At least his lips and mouth weren't dry anymore. He was right, and it was starting to get cold now that the sun was down. He could feel his eyelids drooping, his body desiring sleep. What another ridiculous human necessity. And dreams. What a load of crap those were.

What was even the point of dreams? Most of his had been filled with pleasant images of him and his son punishing those who'd done this to him. But sometimes, he saw his Father coming down to throw him in the cage again. He usually woke from those dreams cold and wet. Sweat. Another repulsive human trait. Ugh! Why did this have to be his life now?

No matter. He would get his powers back soon enough. Of this, he had no doubt.

He noticed another garbage can on the other side of the underpass, and he thought he would give it one last go before trying to sleep for the night. This underpass would at least provide a little shelter from the wind, and possible rain that the sky was hinting at. Although, rain might at least help wash away his stink. But of course, he always stank now. That's just what humans did.

He started to pull junk out of the can, throwing it on the ground when it served him no purpose. He did find a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich wrapped in tin foil, which excited him more than he cared to admit. He guessed that this was probably a child's sandwich earlier in the day, judging by the small bite marks, but he really didn't care as he scarfed it down.

He threw the foil on the ground with the rest of the trash, when a voice rang out from behind him.

"Sir, are you aware that littering is against the law?"

Lucifer spun around, anger at the human who dared to speak to him like that. He could only see a vague shape in the shadow of the underpass. The voice continued, as the person stepped closer to Lucifer. "Your son showed incredible mercy in sparing you."

Lucifer felt his eyes widen. Who was this person? How did they know what had happened? The person was purposefully, and tactfully, staying in the shadows. And before he knew what was happening, there was a flash of silver, and a burning pain exploded from his chest. And then a surprising warmth spreading from his chest down his torso. He coughed once and tasted metal.

Looking down, he could see his own Archangel blade sticking out of his chest. How the hell?

The man continued speaking, and finally Lucifer could see the face looming over him. "He will become quite the force for good in this world. With proper encouragement and education. And for that, I'm afraid, I simply cannot allow any chance of you rising to power once again."

The man was cleaning something with a handkerchief as he spoke in his clear accented voice. He tucked the piece of linen back in a pocket and replaced the now clean glasses over his eyes. Lucifer could vaguely see his vessel's scared and pale face reflected back at him through the small panes before his eyesight began to darken. He felt his body fall to the ground before everything went completely black.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know! I'm late! I had wanted to get this up on Monday as usual, but things were just crazy and I couldn't get anything done last week. Sorry! I hope this chapter makes up for it a little. New POV! Hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!

Reviews?


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23  
Tulsa, OK  
S 33rd W Avenue

"Dude! Get your ass over here!" Dean cried, as he felt the demon-killing knife get knocked out of his hand.

"Little busy here," came Sam's strained voice from several feet away.

The disgustingly large demon threw Dean into a table, and he felt his still-healing ribs protest as he hit them, and landed on the floor with a grunt. This asshole had to be bigger than Sam! Football player, no doubt. He had the shoulders of a linebacker and the height of a pro-basketball player, with probably 6 inches on Sam, if that could be believed. He made Dean look positively short.

"Winchesters," he snarled. "Once I kill you, my place as King of Hell will be assured." He smiled as he approached Dean again, his knuckles cracking into fists the size of shot-puts. His arms were showing a disgusting number of veins popping out of his skin as he walked. The man had clearly been dehydrated when he got possessed. Overly large, dehydrated, and possessed. Poor guy really had it rough. Well, fortunately, his problems would be over soon enough… Assuming, of course, Dean could actually get his knife back, get past the man's enormous reach, and kill him. All of which were still up in the air as far as possibilities go…

The other demon, a young woman with dyed silver hair, that contrasted sharply with her freckled skin, was still choking Sam, an evil smile on her face. Clearly, she believed that she'd already won. Never count out Sam Winchester until his heart's stopped… Actually, not even then. Because he'll come back and kill your ass.

"Seriously?" Dean asked, quickly getting back to his feet, and keeping an eye on his brother who was still fighting to reach the angel blade that he'd dropped, without losing consciousness. "That's the pre-req for King of Hell these days? Killing us? Hear that, Sammy? We've become a job requirement!" Sam made a grunting noise in response. The huge demon smiled and picked up the knife, spinning it expertly in his hotdog-sized fingers. Dean continued, "You know, you've been topside for a while now, maybe hell's found its supreme douche already. Hope you haven't simply been plotting this whole time?"

The demon growled this time and threw himself at Dean. _That's it, Dean. Taunt the angry and possessed giant. Awesome plan… Where the hell are those girls?_ Dean launched himself sideways, trying to avoid the monster. As he spun around, he saw that Sam had managed to get the woman off of him and was now fighting hand-to-hand with her. The angel blade still lay forgotten nearby.

Dean took a few quick steps, leapt over the body of a third demon that they'd already killed, and rolled, trying to avoid something flying at his head. He didn't spare a glance to see what it was as he tried to get the angel blade in his grip. He heard the floor of the abandoned house they were in groan as his moved, and managed to close his fingers around the hilt. He landed on his feet, blade in hand, and thrust the tip into the neck of the smaller demon that had just split Sam's lip with a well-placed jab. She screamed as the light of the demon's corrupted soul flickered and died inside the poor host's body. Dean pulled out the blade, and the woman crumpled to the floor at Dean's feet.

As one, Sam and Dean turned to the behemoth, who seemed less than concerned about the loss of his comrade. He still held Dean's knife in his grip. He grinned again and flicked his other hand; a broken lamp suddenly jumped off the table, flying at Dean's face. Dean dodged the fixture as he threw Sam the angel blade.

His little brother easily caught the weapon and threw himself at the demon. But the demon reacted too fast, and his arm, still holding the knife, whipped around and cut Sam on his shoulder. Sam let out a quick hiss of pain, but it didn't stop him as he pushed the angel blade into the man's chest. He screamed as he died, their knife finally falling from his hand, landing with a _chink_ on the floor.

They were both breathing heavily and Dean bent down to retrieve his knife. However, before they were able to catch their breaths, another scream met their ears. They spun in the direction of the sound to see a body, half flayed and still burning, falling through the open doorway into the room. Faith was standing in the hallway behind him, Scythe in hand, and a pleased grin on her face.

"What took you so long? They almost had Sammy by the jewels," Dean said pointedly.

"What?" Sam said, in a higher pitched voice than usual. He looked at his brother indignantly, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, c'mon," Faith rolled her eyes. "You had, what? Three black-eyes to deal with? You telling me that you and Gigantor couldn't handle it?"

"Look at that thing," Dean shot back, pointing at the body of the giant dead demon. Faith eyed it curiously.

"Damn," she said, as she stepped over the demon that she'd killed, and inspected the one that Dean indicated. "Point taken. That thing is a beast." She turned back, smiling at Sam. "You've been downgraded as Gigantor, Sammy," she informed him with a chuckle. Sam scowled.

Another voice rose in the house above their heads, shouting, "…te rogamus, audi nos!" followed by a scream and the sound of wind and thunder.

"B keeps insisting on exorcising them," Faith explained, shaking her head and looking up at the ceiling where the sounds were coming from. "That's what took so long. Not that any of the hosts survived. At least her Latin is getting better… What was with the dozen demon gathering here, anyway?"

"13 actually," Sam said. "I think they were planning to try to conquer hell. Some kind of power spell, going by the alter in the other room. Plus, the big one mentioned his plan to be King of Hell." Faith nodded in understanding.

"Well, that was fun," Buffy said sarcastically, as she walked into the room, carefully stepping over the body still in the doorway. She made a face when some blood got on her shoes.

"Any survivors?" Sam asked.

"The last one," Buffy said, sounding somewhat relieved. "But she's pretty shook up, which I totally get. She's in the hallway. I promised we'd take her to the hospital."

The others nodded and Sam said, "OK, you wanna take the car and meet us back here? We should clean this place up and dispose of the bodies."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Did you just offer up my Baby?" Dean said quickly, looking at his brother with a scandalized expression on his face. "I don't even like it when you drive her."

"Yeah, and I'm not exactly a great driver," Buffy admitted, sounding nervous and looking awkwardly adorable.

"Fine," Faith said, "Sammy and I will clean up here, you can drive B and the woman to the hospital. Sound like a plan?"

Dean and Buffy nodded in agreement and walked out into the hallway. The woman was short with dark skin, hollow cheeks, and thick, curly, black hair. Her haunted eyes darted around at every sound that she heard, and she stood up quickly from the stair she'd been sitting on when she saw them. Dean noticed her eyeing the feet of the dead demon as he stepped over it.

"You OK?" Dean asked. She nodded, jerkily.

"What's your name?" Buffy asked.

"Bri-Brianna," she stuttered slightly. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself and Dean noticed that she'd purposefully put her back to the wall when she'd stood. She was wearing a pair of tight leather pants, which were ripped in several places – whether for style, or as a result of the fight, Dean wasn't sure – and a jean jacket.

"OK, Brianna," the slayer said gently, "I'm Buffy. This is Dean. We're going to take you to the hospital." The woman nodded shakily and Buffy led her outside to the Impala.

After dropping the woman off at the hospital, Buffy and Dean drove the 20 minutes back to the house where Sam and Faith were waiting for them.

"So, you regret staying with us yet?" Dean asked, almost idly, as they drove.

Buffy looked at him curiously, an eyebrow raised. "No, why?"

"Well, it's been a month since Cas and Jack took off to heaven and we beat the Devil – sort of. We've killed demons, a wendigo, and a ghost since then. For someone who was supposed to be retired before we dragged you back into this crap, I'm kinda surprised that you've been sticking around and joining us on these hunts," Dean said. God! That was almost rambling, what the hell was wrong with him?

"You keep saying that," Buffy said, a confused note in her voice.

"Saying what?"

"That you dragged me into this. I followed you, if you recall. In fact, you didn't want me to come along, and I'd insisted," she pointed out, folding her arms over her chest.

Dean eyed her briefly, before turning back to the road. It was true, but Dean still felt responsible for her being here. For the danger that she and her friends had been put in, even if they'd all come out the other side OK. They'd heard from Mary, Giles, and Willow a few times after they'd returned to Cleveland. Mary was enjoying "getting reacquainted with Rupert," whatever that meant, but she seemed happy. She had texted Dean several times, telling him that he and Sam could learn a thing or two from the Slayer Org – mostly about trusting other people. That, and the additional resources that the watchers had, that she thought would come in handy on their hunts.

Willow was happy to be home with her family, and had been asked to stand up for Xander at his wedding. It appeared that they'd decided to ditch the whole "Best Man" and "Maid of Honor" thing in favor of "Best Friend" on both sides. Buffy was going to stand on Xander's side too, apparently. Dean couldn't help it when he'd called her a "groomswoman" when that had been revealed. She'd smacked him lightly at the comment, which hurt more than he'd cared to admit.

But still, he felt guilty about the danger they'd been put in, and he still felt that it was somehow his responsibility.

"Stop feeling guilty about everything, dumbass," Buffy said, both playfully and genuinely. "Not everything is your fault."

He couldn't help but smile. "Am I that transparent, sweetheart?"

"Let's just say that your walls have doors and windows now."

"What?" he looked at her, extremely confused.

"Never mind," she chuckled to herself. "But don't worry, it's a good thing."

"If you say so," Dean said, looking back at the road.

They picked up Sam and Faith, who'd apparently decided to simply light the place on fire, bodies still inside.

"Subtle, guys," Dean said, shaking his head and chuckling.

"It's been a long time since I've burned down a building," Buffy reminisced, looking perfectly cheerful, while watching the flames rise to the second floor. Dean made a mental note to get that story out of the slayer later.

After they were sure that the house was definitely going to burn to the ground, they called the fire department from a payphone to make sure that it didn't spread into the woods, as the house was extremely isolated.

They stopped for dinner in Wichita on the way home, when Buffy and Faith informed them that, apparently, their hunt wasn't over. By sheer coincidence, or maybe just Winchester luck, the slayers sensed a couple of vamps stalking nearby. They followed the creatures back to a surprisingly nice house in the suburbs where they found the rest of nest.

One of the two they were following went in the house while the other stayed outside, leaning against a tree and smoking a cigarette. He was deep in the shadows, and Buffy quickly ran up to him, staking him in the heart, which seemed to only surprise him after a brief grunt of pain. He looked down at the piece of wood still sticking out of his chest before backhanding Buffy and pulling out the stake. Buffy stumbled backward a few paces, grunting. Faith sprung forward instead, swinging the Scythe and taking the creature's head off, which fell to the ground with a thud.

Buffy regained her balance, scowling, and Dean did his best not to laugh and say "I told you so." Faith simply shook her head at her friend, while Sam handed Buffy a spare machete, also opting not to say anything. They quickly made a plan for the rest of the vampires.

Buffy and Faith circled around the side of the house to the back door while Sam and Dean would go through the front. They waited one minute to allow the slayers time to get into place, before Sam kicked in the door and burst through it, Dean on his heels. They methodically swept through the house, finding only 2 vamps. One was the second vamp they'd followed here, and other was a young blonde wearing way too much leather. The first didn't give them much trouble, Dean taking off its head before it got a hit in.

The blonde, however, was surprisingly difficult. She moved like a gymnast and hit like a boxer. She easily dodged Sam's swing from his machete and rolled into a crouch several feet away from where she'd been. Then she pounced, using the unnatural strength that came with being undead, to launch herself at him. He tried to move out of the way, but wasn't quick enough.

She landed on top of Sam, tackling him to the ground, while Dean circled the two, attempting to get at the right angle to swing his blade. Unfortunately, the vamp saw what he was doing and jumped on Dean instead. He landed on the floor, the air knocked out of him. He immediately felt hot breath on his neck. Reacting on instinct, he thrust is head out, headbutting the creature, who recoiled. She managed to stay on him though, and punched him in the jaw. He tasted blood and attempted to push her off of him, unsuccessfully. Her grip on his arms were like vices, and her fangs were bared, quickly approaching his throat when wet, sticky blood splattered him in the face.

The vampire's head rolled away and Sam offered his hand up to Dean, who took it, shoving the creature's body off of him. He found a towel in the bathroom across the hall and washed the blood off his face and neck.

They met Buffy and Faith in the kitchen; they'd only had to take out a couple as well. Buffy was standing over one of the bodies she'd decapitated, shaking her head and frowning.

"What kind of vampire doesn't turn to dust. It's just stupid," she said, scowling down at it.

"What kind of vamp does?" Dean retorted in a teasing fashion. "I mean, dust? Really? That's ridiculous."

"It makes cleanup a lot easier," Buffy pointed out. Dean couldn't argue with that, and opted to shrug in response, but he couldn't help the grin that formed on his lips.

Since the nest hadn't been large, it had only taken them about 15 minutes to sweep the house and destroy all the creatures inside, and they were soon burying the bodies in the woods behind the house and cleaning up the blood. Fortunately, it was late at night and while the house wasn't nearly as isolated as the last one had been, the neighbors were far enough away that it was unlikely they would be spotted. They didn't find any victims, living or dead, in the house.

And soon enough, they were back on the road again, heading toward home. By the time they arrived, it was well past 1 in the morning and both Buffy and Sam went straight to bed. Dean stayed up for a beer and Faith joined him, which had become a bit of a pattern for them in the weeks since Lucifer's defeat.

Sometimes they would talk, swapping stories or telling dirty jokes. Faith, it turned out, had a very similar sense of humor to Dean's, and the jokes often became downright vulgar. Neither of them would have told one of those jokes in front of Buffy, and only maybe in front of Sam. Sam had delicate sensibilities, after all. Dean had actually turned that into a punchline at one point, which led to him to be greeted with some details about Sam he _really_ didn't need to know. His freaked out reaction had Faith laughing for over 2 minutes before she finally calmed herself down.

Tonight, however, they sat in comfortable silence, drinking their beers. Until Faith posed an interesting question to Dean.

"What's taking you so long, Deano?" she asked.

"Hmm? To do what?" he replied, taking a sip of his beer.

"Buffy."

Dean lowered his bottle slowly and looked at her cautiously. He hesitated, not sure if he should or even could answer. Buffy and Dean had fallen into some interesting habits over the last several weeks. They would talk, joke, laugh. Occasionally, they would spar in the gym when they were both feeling restless (he'd spared with Faith once, at her request – and he was never making _that_ mistake again). They touched casually, on the arm or the shoulder, as friends often do. He'd even opened himself up a bit more than he usually would with anyone other than Sam or maybe Cas.

But it never went beyond that, though he knew that if he tried, it could. Buffy and Dean had never once talked about the kiss that they'd shared all those weeks ago. And why hadn't he gone for it? He knew that she cared for him at this point. Hell, everyone friggin' knew. And he'd never moved this slowly in his life. So, why was he hesitating? _Why was she?_ a small voice in his head asked. And he knew the answer to both questions. Because they _did_ care about each other. He was falling for that little blonde slayer, and he knew it. And a part of him – the part of him that was still a good man – didn't want to screw it up, like he inevitably did with every good thing in his life.

He was worried that if he slept with Buffy that he would lose her. Unbidden images of Lisa and Ben, kidnapped and hurt, flashed through his mind. He was resolved not to let something like that ever happen again. And certainly not to someone like Buffy.

He didn't answer Faith, and she didn't press the issue or even tease him about it. They finished their beers in silence and went to their respective beds.

XXXX

It was a few days later, and Dean was starting to feel the familiar stir of cabin fever when Sam spoke up from behind his laptop. Buffy and Faith looked up curiously from where they were sitting. Faith seemed to be perusing the news, looking for a case, and Buffy appeared to be watching _The Handmaid's Tale_ on Hulu on her tablet.

"Got something," the younger hunter said, eyes still on the screen. "Oh my God, Dean, you're not going to believe this."

Then Sam looked up and met Dean's eyes. "What?"

"I just found a report saying that the body of one Nick Reprobi has been found."

"Who the hell's Nick Reprobi and why do I care?" Dean asked, genuinely confused. Was he supposed to recognize that name or something?

"Dude, seriously?" Sam looked at his brother with an all-too-familiar expression, the you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look. Dean shrugged noncommittally. "Nick Reprobi was Lucifer's vessel."

That got everyone's attention immediately. Dean felt his eyes widen in shock and he quickly stood up to read the article for himself.

Sure enough, there was short report detailing that Nick Reprobi, who had gone missing 8 years ago after the deaths of his wife and son, had just been found stabbed to death in Austin. Attached to the report was a file about his wife and son's deaths, and the Missing Person's Report from all those years ago. There were multiple statements made by the friends and family, who'd reported him missing at the time:

 _Nick was such a good person. And after what happened to his family, I figured he just had to get away, you know? I hope he's OK and knows that we're all still here for him,_ one friend had stated.

 _It was just so sad. To lose his wife and son like that. I think that might make anyone go a little crazy. But I figured that he would eventually let some of us know where he was. Now, I'm worried that something might have happened to him too,_ read a statement from a cousin.

 _I think he offed himself, it sucks, but there it is,_ reported a coworker.

"I guess I never really thought about what Lucifer said to make Nick say yes," Sam commented.

"This says that Nick was stabbed with a triangular blade," Dean read. "Angel blade, has to be." Sam nodded in agreement.

"But how? Jack said that no angel or demon could have possibly found him," Sam pointed out.

"Don't know, Sammy. But I think we'd better get down to Austin and make sure that it's really him," Dean stood up, feeling anxious. Could it be possible that Lucifer really was dead after all these years? That would certainly be a relief, despite what Jack said. Jack was not going to be happy about this though.

"Definitely," Sam agreed.

"You ladies coming with?" Dean asked, turning to Buffy and Faith.

Buffy looked about ready to answer, when Faith cut her off, "Actually, I was just about to tell you all about a case that I think I found in Casper, Wyoming. Buncha people have gone missing in the last few weeks, more than usual and the never-in-a-million-years types according to this article. I was going to propose we go find out what the frig's happening."

"Hmm," Sam said. "Well, in that case, why don't you two go check out the case in Casper, while Dean and I double check on Lucifer's death. We can meet you there when we're done in Texas."

"Look, B! A few weeks, and already, they're letting us go on our own hunts. It's like a dream come true," Faith said, clapping her hands in mock excitement. Sam raised a sarcastic eyebrow at her and Dean chuckled. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I'll get you guys a car," Sam said simply.

"Why not let me take one of those beauties you got stashed in the garage?" Faith asked.

"Not a chance," Dean shot back bluntly and smiling at Faith. Faith looked genuinely disappointed.

"I'll wear you down one day, Rocky," she said, an unnerving grin on her face. Buffy gave Dean a look that clearly said that Faith could and would, and he couldn't stop her. Suddenly, Dean was actually a little scared of the brunette slayer.

A few hours later, Sam and Dean were on the road south to Texas. Sam had managed to steal an old Toyota Camry for the girls, reassuring Buffy that it was in a junkyard and no one would really miss it – which was total crap, and they all knew it. Faith reassured them that she would be the one driving. After all he'd learned about Buffy, it now gave him chills to remember that she'd once driven his car while they'd been knocked out.

The two slayers were shaping up to be decent hunters, slayer skills aside. Dean had provided them both fake IDs for the last several hunts, though Buffy was still vehemently refusing to even learn how to shoot a gun. Faith seemed a little more open-minded about it, but it was clear that she preferred her Scythe. And to be fair, it did seem like that thing could kill just about anything. Dean had taken a good look at it, with Faith's permission, of course.

The blade was made of silver, and the stake was apparently made of ancient, polished Quebracho wood, which, according to Sam, is the hardest wood in the world. _Why does he even know that? Geek_. There was impressive spell work all along the weapon that was invisible to the naked eye, but could be seen when exposed to sage. It also seemed to have iron in the core of both the blade and the stake. And somehow, Dean had no idea how, the blade also burned demons as though it was soaked in holy water. And neither the blade nor the stake ever seemed to need sharpening; Dean could only assume some of the spell work was responsible for that.

He'd declared it The Colt of hand-to-hand weapons. And he was really jealous of Faith for it.

The ride to Austin was fairly uneventful, with Dean insisting on listening to his Motörhead tape while Sam attempted to get some sleep, and it was late by the time they arrived. He pulled into the Lone Star Inn on the outside of the city and checked in, as it was too late to go to the Morgue. Sam had mostly failed in his attempt to sleep in the car, so he collapsed on the bed when they arrived, fully dressed, and feet hanging off the edge, as usual.

Dean attempted to sleep when they arrived too, but he found himself thinking about his usual nighttime beer with Faith and actually missing it. But more than that, he was already missing Buffy's presence and her usual, almost innocent commentary on the things they did that usually had him laughing. He pulled out his phone to check on the girls.

Buffy texted him back almost right away. She said that they'd arrived a few hours ago and were planning to check in at the police station in the morning. Faith had already gone to bed, tired from the long drive, but Buffy was having trouble sleeping.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _I hate new beds. I'm never comfortable in them, especially the first night_

 ** _[Dean]_** _I had that trouble as a kid, but when your raised on the road, you get used to it_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _what was that like?_

 ** _[Dean]_** _I dont know, seemed perfectly normal to me_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _… idk if I'll ever get used to it._

Dean hesitated, wondering how to respond. Maybe if he posed his question carefully, he could get the answer he wanted without sounding awkward.

 ** _[Dean]_** _but you don't really need to get used to it, not fr much longer anyway, right?_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _Depends on heaven, I guess_

 ** _[Dean]_** _well, at least then you can go back to your normal life_

It took a few minutes for Buffy to respond.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _right. A normal life._

 ** _[Buffy]_** _Im gunna go to bed now. gnite, dean_

 ** _[Dean]_** _night princess_

Dean slept fitfully that night.

The next morning, Sam and Dean put on their FBI suits and went to the morgue. They were led into the sterile basement room and a body was pulled out. It was definitely Lucifer's vessel, Nick. But did that necessarily mean that Lucifer himself had been killed? They would probably have to do some tests, but how, with the mortician standing there? And of course, they somehow had to get the body out of there, so they could dispose of it properly.

"Hello, boys."

Dean and Sam both froze. They knew that voice all too well. They both moved slowly toward the source of the scratchy, British accent. Dean's brain had practically stopped, the only thing moving through the fog in his mind were a few simple words, _No. Not possible. How?_

Before they'd even turned and confronted the owner of the voice, there was a snap, and suddenly the mortician was on the floor. And then Dean saw the demon's face.

Crowley.

Even though he'd known what he would see the second he heard those two words, he still couldn't believe his eyes.

Crowley moved forward nonchalantely, looking at Nick's body with interest. "You know, I'd heard that Lucifer had gone and been done away with after all these years, but I just had to come and see it for myself." He pointed to the triangular hole in Nick's chest. "Definitely an angel blade that killed him. And rest assured, boys. Lucifer was still inside poor Nick's body when the deed was done. Performed the tests myself. Dental records, finger prints, DNA, residual angel grace, all in order." He waved a hand as though swatting a fly, and looked up at Sam and Dean. "Maybe that seems like overkill, but what can I say? I've always been a slave to specificity. The devil is in the details, if you catch my drift."

Sam and Dean still hadn't moved or said a word, too much in shock to do anything.

"Close your mouth, Samantha. You look like a moose out of water."

Dean heard a _click_ as Sam's mouth snapped shut. Crowley's eyes moved over to Dean and he continued, "I know, I know. You're overjoyed to see me, squirrel, but please, spare us both the water works. I don't know if I'd be able to contain myself if you did."

Finally, Dean managed to speak a single word, "How?"

"Dear, old Mother, of course," he said. He stepped away from Nick's body, over the mortician's (was he even alive?), and put his hands in his pockets. He was wearing what looked like the same suit that he'd always favored. Complete with silk tie.

"So, you're King of Hell again?" Sam asked.

"Heaven's no. I've learned my lesson and I have no interest in ruling those traitorous fleabags ever again. No, back to King of the Crossroads for me." He blinked and his eyes shown red as he smiled. "But don't worry. The new King, or should I say, Queen, will manage things quite nicely, I'm sure," he added.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"It's nice to know that your monosyllabic vocabulary hasn't changed in my absence, Dean. Your intelligence makes my naughty bits simply quiver with excitement," Crowley commented with a grin, his eyes returning to normal. Dean scowled and Crowley continued after a deep breath, "If you must know, Mother has claimed the throne. And it does seem to suit her."

"But she's not even a demon," Sam said, looking confused.

"True," Crowley agreed, pushing the mortician's head to the side slightly with his toe. Dean saw that the man was snoring slightly, so that was something at least. "But she does have the power, and really, it's the two of you that I should be thanking."

"Us? Why?" Sam asked, confused.

"Well, after you royally botched up my noble sacrifice that should have trapped Lucy in that other universe, you recruited Mother for help in getting back his son. Which she did, of course…"

"Yeah, out of the goodness of her heart," Dean added sarcastically.

"No, of course not, you blithering moron. She did it for a book. And that book allowed her to resurrect yours truly," Crowley smiled in a satisfied way.

"We warned Rowena that if she did anything with that book that resulted in the harming of humans, that we would hunt her down," Sam said, anger rising and nostrils flaring.

"And she agreed. She gave me back my life, didn't hurt a single precious living human to do it. And she told me, that if I saw you here, to tell you that she would hold up her end," Crowley explained.

"And what about you?" Dean growled.

"I have no part of that deal," Crowley said, giving Dean a very familiar look that told him he was a moron. "I can do what I like. Besides, I won't be harming anyone – not directly at least. I've told you before, I'm a businessman. I make the contracts and I hold to them. And I don't even do the killing after the 10 years are up."

"Yeah, you're a saint," Sam said sardonically.

"Don't worry, moose. I'm sure that we'll run into each other again. As a salesman, I'll be around. I'll give Mother your best, shall I?"

"Kiss my ass, Crowley," Dean spat. "You can tell Rowena that, too," he added as an afterthought.

"Eloquent, as ever. Well, it's been a pleasure catching up. Rest assured that Lucifer really is dead, and Mother will take good care of hell in his absence. See you around, boys," and then he was gone. The mortician began to stir the second Crowley had vanished. Dean and Sam both looked at each other in shock.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered angrily, still staring at his brother.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24  
Sunnydale, CA  
Sunnydale High School

"Buffy, are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Robin. Yes, I'll get that report to you by the end of the day," Buffy said, throwing down the pen that she'd idly been chewing and picking up the folder that Robin had tried to hand to her.

"Good. You know, if I didn't know you better, Ms. Summers, I'd think you were daydreaming," Robin said sarcastically. His too-white smile greeted her then, and he chuckled to himself as he turned back toward his office. "End of the day, OK?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Right," she agreed.

Buffy sighed, and opened the folder. The school picture of one of her students greeted her on the top of the pages. Benjamin Crossfield, 16, Junior, B¯ student. About 2 months ago, he'd started getting into trouble: missing classes, starting fights, talking back to his teachers. He'd been sent to talk to Buffy after his 3rd detention was assigned.

He'd refused to talk to her at first, folding his arms, and not meeting her eyes. "What do you know about high school today, anyway?" he'd asked her bluntly before closing his mouth and glaring at her. Buffy'd had to go back to her old reliable – telling him about her days in Sunnydale. Cheerleading, C student, a few boyfriends barely worth remembering. But mostly, she'd told him about the harder things. How her parents had split up. How she'd been forced to change schools after a minor misunderstanding at her last one. How her bratty sister was always telling lies about her to get her into trouble. How her best friend had been bullied for being shy and awkward, and then again after coming out of the closet.

One of those subjects usually got a student's attention, and she wasn't disappointed this time. After two sessions, Ben finally admitted that his parents were getting a divorce, and how he was sure that it was all his fault; Buffy understood that feeling all too well. But she listened without interrupting – that was half the battle, of course. Over the years, she'd learned that her best move was to shut up and listen, which had been hard at first – but she'd gotten used to it.

That was one of the most difficult things for her to accept when she'd gone to college, that listening was more important for a counselor than talking. The trick was talking enough to get them to open up, and then shutting up once they did.

She sighed, and filled out the status report on Ben, saying that he'd been making good progress, and that his teachers had reported improved behavior. She was proud of the kid, though she pitied him – not that she'd ever say that to his face. He'd had a rough go of it over the last year. And Buffy strongly suspected that his mother had become verbally abusive recently – possibly as a result of the divorce. If it got any worse, or turned physical, Buffy knew that she would have to step in. Which she hated doing, since it usually resulted in the kid hating her and refusing to come back.

It was close to the end of the day when her office phone rang. She grinned to herself, having just finished Ben's report, and answered.

"Buffy Summers."

"Hey, Buff. You almost out?" came her boyfriend's voice. Buffy had to stop herself from audibly sighing. She liked Riley, of course. He was a good, kind, normal guy, and he loved her. Vaguely, the part of her brain that she'd learned to tune out shouted that this was all wrong. She ignored it, as usual.

"Yeah, just a few emails to answer, and then I should be good to go," she responded.

"Cool. Listen, Xander just called. Him and Dawn are going over final wedding plans and they need our help. They wanna know if we can meet at their place around 6?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, of course. Maybe we can grab a pizza to bring over," Buffy suggested.

"Perfect, see you soon, sweetie. Love you."

"Bye," Buffy said, unable to say the words that he probably expected.

Four weeks. It'd been four weeks since she'd changed. She could have sworn at the start that everything about her life had been wrong, that she didn't belong here. That these people weren't supposed to be in her life. She remembered being shocked waking up next to Riley that morning. She'd been even more surprised when he'd reminded her that he needed to borrow her car. _Her_ car. His was in the shop, and he'd had to drop her off at work that day. And that's where she'd seen Robin who, for some reason, she'd believed to be dead.

It'd been four weeks since that shocking morning, and as the time had passed, she wasn't sure she understood why she'd been so surprised, so out of sorts. This was her life, after all. She'd been with Riley since college. Robin had been her boss for years. So, why was any of that a surprise? As the weeks had passed, that feeling of wrongness started to evaporate, and she'd shoved the memories of some other life (were those even real?) to the back of her mind. She barely even thought about it now.

Except when certain things happened that made that small voice in the back of her mind stir – but even that was happening less and less. Except that she had to admit that one of her biggest problems was Riley. She didn't love him, and she knew it. She remembered loving him. Remembered discussing marriage with him, though thankfully, they'd decided that they didn't need a piece of paper to define their relationship. The thing was though, that people didn't just wake up one morning not loving someone they'd loved for years. Except that she had. And she had no clue why.

But despite her doubts, she hadn't broken up with him. A part of her kept wishing that this would all stop seeming weird, and she'd find love for him again. But every day, that wish seemed more and more in vain. But still, she stuck by him because… what else was she supposed to do? Dump him out of the blue? Maybe they could see a relationship councilor; help her remember why she'd loved him in the first place?

Her other big problem was boredom. Though this had been her life for years, something felt off and she felt antsy. Unsettled. Her work at the school was important, but for some reason, she felt like she was supposed to be doing something… _more_ with her life. But what? She'd known what it was in those first days, but she couldn't remember it now.

She'd even done some googling in those first few days to try to find out why she was different, why this world felt so wrong. Later, when she'd started to forget what it was, she went back into her search history to find out what she'd been looking at. Her searches had included: "Vampire Slayers," "Rupert Giles," who turned out to be some librarian in London, "Supernatural," "Magic," and then finally "Real Magic."

What the hell had she been thinking? Buffy had no idea why she would be searching for those things now, but it didn't really matter.

The final bell rang – thank God it was Friday – and Buffy popped into Robin's office to drop off her report before she went out to her car. Didn't she used to hate driving? That'd been a long time ago – Riley had taught her how to be a halfway decent driver after college, when she'd had to get a job. She still wasn't very confident behind the wheel, so she'd been driving the same car ever since – which made her feel a little safer in its familiarity. It was old, over 10 years old at this point, but she didn't care. As long as it worked, right?

She pulled out onto the road, turning on some station that played "80's, 90's, and 2000's." She bobbed her head to the music and sang along when she knew the words. She was still close to the high school however, and 20 minutes away from home, when her "Check Engine" light came on.

And then she saw smoke rising from under the hood. _Oh, crap_.

She pulled over, turned on her hazards, and turned off the car. She popped the hood and a wall of smoke rose from inside, almost hitting her in the face, but thankfully missing. She called Riley, who simply sounded exasperated when she told him what happened, as though he'd expected this for a long time, and gave her the number to an autoshop that he trusted.

She called the number, and a man with a deep, mid-western, and ornery sounding voice promised they would have a tow truck there shortly. She waited, checking Facebook, since she had nothing better to do, and in short order, she heard the sound of a big truck coming closer. She put her phone away as the truck pulled in front of her car and backed up to it.

A tall, muscular man, wearing dirty jeans and an old, brown leather jacket climbed out of his truck to meet her. His light brown hair was short and spiky, and he had just enough freckles visible on his face to make him downright adorable. Adorable was, of course, the wrong word. Freaking gorgeous was more accurate. Yummy would be even better. He smiled when he saw her.

"You Buffy?" he asked, stopping in front of her. She nodded.

"Awesome. I'm Dean from Singer Auto. Keys still in the ignition?" he said, motioning to the car. She nodded again, and he got in the driver's side, putting the car into neutral and pulling out the keys. "Is someone picking you up, or were you coming back to the shop?" he asked, throwing her the keys after he got out.

He seemed familiar.

"I was gunna go back to the shop, I can have someone pick me up later if it looks like it might take some time," she said.

"Sounds good," Dean said, cheerfully. "Hope you don't mind riding up front with me, sweetheart."

Very familiar.

He helped her up into the passenger side of his truck, which was surprisingly clean and well kept. Then he walked around, hooked her car up to his truck, secured it, and got into the driver's side.

"Tunes OK?" he asked when he started up the truck. Buffy shrugged noncommittally and music immediately started coming out of the speakers, louder than she would have expected. She gave him a look, but he just grinned at her and put the truck into drive. He started drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, lip syncing to the words.

 _Well now sweet sixteens turned thirty-one  
_ _Feel a little tired feeling under the gun  
_ _Well all Chuck's children are out there playing his licks  
_ _Get into your kicks  
_ _Come back baby  
_ _Rock 'n Roll never forgets  
_ _Said you can come back baby  
_ _Rock 'n Roll never forgets_

She grinned to herself, realizing that he was doing this for her benefit, probably to make her laugh. She started to chuckle, but then she had a quick flash of sitting in another car – an old muscle car – and this same man singing along to rock music there too. Where had that come from? Was that a memory? A dream? Maybe she'd met him before and just forgotten? That might explain the familiarity.

When they got to the shop, Dean took her car right into the garage and popped the hood, looking into the engine. She watched appreciatively as he bent over into it, his jeans pulling tight across his butt. She could watch that all day.

Which could only mean one thing, of course; Riley called her at that moment.

"Hey."

"Hey," he said. "I just got a text from Xander. They can't do tonight after all, Dawn's got a thing going on with some friends, I guess. So, Xander's gunna host a poker game instead. Interested at all?" _Oh, soooo not._

"Eh," she hesitated. "Poker's not really my thing, you know that. But you can go if you want."

"You sure?"

"Have fun," she insisted. He thanked her, told her he loved her again, and hung up. She went back to watching Dean's back. He walked over to her a few minutes later, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Your radiator hose is leaking coolant," he explained. "Shouldn't take too long to fix, but it'll need to be replaced – probably about 50 bucks. Any objections?"

"She's all yours, captain," Buffy said, smiling and motioning to the car.

He grinned back at her and said, "Great. Won't be 10 minutes."

Sure enough, 10 minutes later, he was walking back up to her with the bill. $39.84. Cheaper than he'd said, sweet.

"So, Buffy," Dean said, after she'd rung out with a grouchy looking man behind a desk. "Is there any chance I might be able to take you out for a drink tonight?"

He was smiling that ridiculously attractive smile of his. She wanted to melt at that look – it wasn't really fair for a man to have that effect on someone. She thought about Riley. She thought about their canceled plans. And then she thought about Dean.

It's not like she was going to sleep with him. It wasn't really cheating, after all. And she wasn't sure there was really any future with Riley anyway, not anymore. It was just one drink, not a real date; it was just getting to know a new friend. She was making excuses for herself, and she knew it. The truth was that she wanted to go out with Dean. In the single afternoon that she'd known him, she was more attracted to him than she'd been to Riley in the entire month since she'd changed.

She smiled back at him and agreed.

"Awesome," he said, looking pleased. "I get off at 7. Pick you up at 7:30?"

"Don't you need my address?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, amused.

Dean looked down at a copy of the bill that he'd given her. Her address was listed right on it. "Nope," he said, sounding perfectly cheerful. "See you soon, sweetheart."

Buffy drove home in her now-cool car, looking forward to the not-date. When she got there, Riley greeted her with a kiss that she returned by habit. She felt nothing when she kissed him. He asked if she needed dinner, but she explained that she was going out for a drink with a friend later, since their plans were canceled, and she would find something there. A naturally trusting man, he didn't question her, and simply nodded.

He left for Xander's at 7, and Buffy went into her closet to change for… whatever this was… a drink with Dean. Not a date. Nope. She wasn't sure what to wear, since this wasn't a date, and she couldn't give off that impression. But she didn't want to look bad either. She went through several outfits, rejecting the short dresses and skirts, and low-cut tops. Finally, she opted for something she might wear to a business party.

She put on a soft blue skirt that went to her knees, a white top that was flowy at the neckline, so it _could_ show some cleavage, but not a lot and not all the time. Her jewelry was simple and gold, matching the belt that she wore around her waist that was more fashion accessory than useful. She finished it by putting her hair up in a half ponytail and low heeled dress sandals. She went very light on the makeup.

She inspected herself in the mirror for several minutes, trying to make sure that this wouldn't give off the wrong impression, finally nodding to herself that it was OK. She was starting to get nervous when her doorbell rang. Why? There was no reason to be nervous. This wasn't a date.

But did Dean know that?

Crap.

She opened the door to find Dean wearing black jeans and a button down shirt. The top 2 buttons were undone, and there was no tie or fancy jacket – for which she was grateful. He smiled when he saw her and simply said, "Shall we?" He didn't bring her flowers or a rose, or candy, or anything. Good. Not a date.

She followed him out the door to a classic, black muscle car that was parked in front of her house. It was huge and well cared for, and the way Dean moved around it, opening the door for her and gliding his fingers along the hood as he went around to his side, made her think that this thing was probably his pride and joy.

"Nice car," she said, when he got in.

"Hear that, Baby?" he said, practically stroking the steering wheel. "She likes you." She raised her eyebrows at him, but found herself laughing. He smiled as he started the car, the engine coming to life with a roar and Led Zeppelin blasting from the speakers.

He drove them to a place only a few minutes away that was both a bar and restaurant. Buffy expected to sit at the bar, but Dean surprised her by opting for a small booth instead.

"Hope you don't mind," he said. "I haven't had dinner. You eaten?" She shook her head and he smiled, "Great. Then let's eat."

"I thought we were just having a drink?" she said, raising her eyebrows at him, and half grinning.

He simply shrugged and said, "We can't do both?"

Dean ordered a scotch and soda, and the Tavern Burger which came with an fried egg on it. Buffy ordered the Friday Night Relaxer – a rum based drink with a lot of fruit flavor to mask the alcohol, and a BLT. Dean laughed at her choice of drink, calling her "princess."

Buffy had the strangest feeling of déjà vu at that point. She ignored it.

When their drinks arrived, Buffy figured conversation was always better than silence. "So, tell me about yourself, Dean. Are you from around here?"

"Nope. Kansas actually."

"What made you move out here? The sunny weather, or the impending earthquake that will lead to California falling into the ocean?" she asked jokingly.

Dean laughed, "neither actually. Though, if California becomes the next Hawaii, think what that'll do to property values around here!" Buffy laughed too, and Dean continued, "No, I came out here to be near my brother and his family. They live in Santa Barbara."

"Older or younger?"

"Younger. But while I got all the looks, he definitely got all the brains. Went to Stanford, became a lawyer. Now he works for California Legal Aid. He fights big corporations over environmental shit, racism, sexism, blah blah blah. I don't really know. Every time he talks to me about work, I can't help but tune it out. He's just such a goody-two-shoes," Dean said. It was strange the way he talked about his brother. He mocked him, but it was clear Dean was also extremely proud of him. And Buffy got the distinct impression that, while Dean was a handsome man as he'd pointed out, his brother was probably disgustingly attractive as well… And Dean liked to joke about his brother.

"That's nice though, that you came out here to be with him and his family. He's got kids?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," Dean smiled. "Two little rugrats, Mary and Brady. Mary starts Kindergarten next year. Hard to believe."

She smiled at the description. "Sounds like you and your brother and his family are close."

"Well, we don't have much else in terms of family. Just our uncle Bobby, who runs the shop where I work," Dean shrugged.

"He gave you the job when you moved here?"

"Yeah, he doesn't have any kids of his own. He's not really our uncle, but close enough. He always says 'family don't end with blood, boy.'" Dean laughed. "But he's thinking about retiring soon, so he's been bringing me into the management side of things lately, getting ready to let me take over."

"That's great!" Buffy said, smiling at him and taking a sip of her drink. It was delicious.

"Yeah, I guess," Dean shrugged, not sounding very enthusiastic about it. "I don't know if management is really my thing. I really just like to work on the cars."

"So hire some dweeb with an accounting degree to run the books," Buffy suggested. Dean glanced at her, making a "not bad" face.

"Decent idea… I like it. But enough about me, what about you? What do you do?"

Their food arrived at that point, and Dean got very excited about his burger. He took a bite into it, closing his eyes and looking like he'd just entered heaven. Buffy bit into her sandwich, which was pretty good. Dean, however, was enjoying his burger to a point that might be considered indecent.

"I work at Sunnydale High. I'm a councilor there," she said, after they'd taken a few more bites.

"Seriously? So, you help the kids decide what colleges to choose and stuff like that?"

"Oh, God no. No, I help kids who are struggling. You know, bullying, skipping classes, getting detention. Trying to figure out why they're acting out," she explained.

Dean looked impressed, "Oh, so more like a shrink for tweens?"

Buffy laughed, "Yeah, without the high pay or advanced degrees."

They continued talking as they ate, and Buffy found that Dean was really good at making her laugh. He liked to joke about everything, even serious things, making inappropriate comments that seemed all the more funny because of it. She sort of felt guilty about laughing at some of them. Quickly enough, one drink became two, and then three.

Dean switched to beer by the third drink, and was telling a story about when him and his brother, had accidentally burned down a field setting off fireworks on the Fourth of July. The narration had Buffy laughing hard. It was very clear that Sammy was the most important part of Dean's world. It also sounded like Dean practically raised him until he went to college.

They'd been at the restaurant for almost two hours when Buffy realized what time it was. She was just about to suggest that maybe they should get going when she got a text from Riley saying that he'd had a few too many at Xander's and didn't want to drive, so he was crashing there. Guess she had more time than she'd thought.

Dean ordered them another round, and Buffy was definitely starting to feel the rum. She was becoming more giggly by the minute and Dean was looking at her like she was simply adorable. She knew that the alcohol was turning her face red.

"I think maybe water for you after this," he suggested.

"Probably a good idea," she said, chuckling. They talked for another half an hour, Dean ordering waters for both of them and then he said that it was probably time he took her home, and she agreed. They briefly argued over splitting the bill. Buffy wanted to pay half and Dean insisted on paying the full bill. Finally, he just gave his card to the waiter before Buffy could stop him. After he'd signed, and left a surprisingly good tip, they got up from the booth, Dean stopping for a moment before he looked at Buffy.

"I probably shouldn't be driving," he said thoughtfully.

"We could walk," Buffy suggested. "It's not far."

He smiled at her, nodding. The night was cool, not too cold, but Buffy was sleeveless. Dean stopped at his parked car to grab his worn leather jacket, draping it over her. She pulled it around herself gratefully; it was really warm. It smelled like leather, oil, and boy. She liked it.

They walked causally, neither of them feeling the need to rush, and Buffy soon realized that he had taken her hand at some point. She could still feel the alcohol, but it was starting to wear off in the cool night air. It was close to 11 now, and they were probably a mile away from her house. They continued talking, telling stories and laughing at each other.

She felt so comfortable with him and he was such a sweet man. But there was something else about him too. A fierce protectiveness. Buffy suspected that Dean would die for those he loved – not just his brother. He was loyal, maybe to a fault, and he didn't seem to think too much of himself, despite his bravado. Buffy'd had to stop him from idly insulting himself several times. But she didn't think he was fishing for compliments like some people did.

He seemed to have a very low self-image, which he covered with jokes. It was hard for her to believe that he could have such a negative opinion of himself, because he was so amazing. He was attractive, funny, kind, and despite what he said, it was clear he was intelligent. Maybe he didn't have book smarts or a college degree, but he had the kind of street smarts that could get a person almost anywhere in life if they wanted it. And he could read people amazingly well.

Finally, they got to her door and she stopped, turning back to him and fiddling with her keys. This not-date had been amazing, and she really wanted to get to know Dean better. He could be an amazing person to have in her life. As soon as she'd turned back to him, to say goodnight, his lips found hers.

The kiss was strong, passionate, and Buffy melted right into it, all thoughts vanishing from her mind. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, losing track of where she was, who she was. All, except this man, and his perfect lips. One of his hands had found her waist, under his jacket that she was still wearing. The other was tangled in her hair, pulling her closer into him.

And then one of those annoying visions hit her like a wave. Another Dean, a little scruffier, darker, rougher. But just as amazing. She could see him standing against a pillar in what looked like a garage filled with classic cars. They'd been talking, and then they'd been kissing. Just like this. What was that? A memory?

She broke the kiss quickly, stepping backward, her eyes flying wide open. She looked at Dean in confusion. He looked back at her in surprise at the sudden end to the kiss. His hands were still hovering where they'd been. He slowly lowered them as he watched her.

She urgently fiddled with her keys again, finding the right one and opening the door to the house. She turned to give Dean back his jacket and say goodnight, but before she could, he'd embraced her again. And as before, all logical thoughts flew out the window.

They stumbled into the house, a tangle of limbs and lips. The heavy jacket was quickly discarded and thrown on a chair. The passion of the man that was kissing her, touching her – it was incredible. He wanted her. And she wanted him. There was something about him that was just so special. She wasn't sure she'd ever met someone like him. She wasn't entirely sure why, but for some reason, the word that sprung to mind was "hero."

Somehow, they'd stumbled up the stairs and into her bedroom. Shoes were kicked off, and she tore at the buttons on his shirt, while his fingers roamed the skin on her arms and back, his hands moving under her shirt.

Everywhere his fingers touched tingled. His lips started to move from her mouth, down her jaw and onto her neck and collar. She tilted her head back to give him better access. Little sparks ignited under her skin at every kiss, and she couldn't help the little moan that escaped her lips.

It'd been so long since she'd felt anything like this. That someone had made her feel this way. And she wasn't about to stop now. She closed her eyes, smiling, and let herself get washed away in the pleasure.

XXXX

"What the hell?!"

Buffy woke up with a start, blinking in the early morning light of her bedroom. Someone was stomping through the room, and she looked around. And then she saw Riley standing over the bed, eyes ablaze, hurt and anger in his face. And then she remembered, and glanced over to where Dean was still lying on the bed. He was blinking in confusion at Riley.

She felt her eyes go wide when she realized that they were both still naked, barely covered by a sheet. She pulled the thin linen up over her chest and turned back to Riley. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide. And tears were leaking down from them, though from anger or hurt, she couldn't tell. His hands were balled into fists. The guilt was quickly rising in her, and she knew there was no way out of this.

"Riley…" she started, knowing that she had nothing that could justify her actions. Except the whole, _I-woke-up-four-weeks-ago-and-everything-had-changed-for-me_ thing.

"16 years, Buffy!" Riley shouted. "And now this? Are you kidding me? How could you… why would… No, you know what? I'm leaving." And true to his word, he turned and left the room. She could hear him stomping down the stairs and the front door slamming behind him.

She laid there, mouth gawking, unsure what to do. Movement in the bed next to her got her attention and she turned to see Dean getting out of the bed and pulling on his boxers. She sat up quickly, still holding the sheet over her chest, like that gave her armor or something.

"Dean," she started. While she felt guilty about Riley, somehow, she wasn't crushed by his leaving. She wasn't even entirely sure if that was truly a breakup. He would probably want to talk later when he'd cooled down. She wasn't looking forward to it, because she knew that if he didn't break up with her for this, she would break up with him. And despite the fact that she didn't love him anymore, it still felt horrible knowing it. But Dean… even though she'd just met him, she knew she didn't want to lose him.

Dean looked at her, hurt on his face. He grabbed his jeans and quickly pulled them on. "What?" he said angrily.

"I'm sorry I didn't…" but he cut her off.

"Sorry you didn't what? Tell me that you were married?"

"We're not married," she began, but again Dean didn't let her finish.

"I'm not deaf, Buffy. 16 years you've been with that guy. Maybe you aren't married, but you might as well be," he said fiercely, pulling on his shirt. There were a few buttons missing. "You let me take you out. You slept with me, and the whole time you didn't bother to mention that you were with someone? I'm not the 'other guy' kind of guy, sweetheart."

"Dean, I don't love him," she tried to explain, though she knew it was both a weak excuse and in vain.

"And that's supposed to make it better? Goodbye, Buffy. Don't call me." He pulled on his shoes and left the room without another word.

Buffy threw the sheet off of herself and ran to the window. Riley was still sitting in his car in the driveway. When Dean walked out of the house, Riley's eyes widened and he got out to meet him. Buffy watched as they exchanged words that she couldn't hear, and then Riley threw a punch at Dean.

Dean took it in the jaw, but maintained his balance. He looked back in time to see a second blow coming at his face. But he blocked it with surprising ease, knocking Riley's arm aside, and punching him in the stomach instead. Riley doubled over, the breath most likely knocked out of him. Buffy watched in shock, her hands covering her mouth. Dean said one more thing, then quickly turned and started walking down the road. He was almost jogging, but not quite. He probably wished that he'd driven back here last night after all. Or that he hadn't gone out with her in the first place.

Riley stood back up, looking angrier than before. Then he looked up and saw Buffy watching him. He narrowed his eyes, and his nostrils flared. He turned, got back in his car, and drove away in the opposite direction that Dean had gone.

What the hell just happened? How had she gotten here. Not a date? She could kick herself.

Buffy went to an easy chair that sat in the corner of her bedroom, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She was still naked and she felt very exposed, even though there wasn't anyone in the room anymore. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees.

How had not-a-date turned into sleeping with Dean? And then she remembered the vision that she'd had of Dean the night before, and she looked up sharply as if that would help her see it again.

But she saw something else instead. Looking across the room, she saw Dean sitting at a table reading a book. Then, she saw Dean, hurt and unconscious lying on a bed next to a taller man with long hair, also unconscious. Who was the other man? She wasn't sure how, but for some reason, she knew it was Dean's brother, Sammy. No, he preferred to be called Sam. How did she know that?

The two of them looked so pitiful, so weak in her vision, and somehow she knew that _she'd_ done that to them. How was that possible? She'd never even met Sam. But then the vision changed again, and she saw herself fighting them. Kicking and punching. They were trying to kill her.

None of this made any sense and Buffy blinked away the tears of hurt and confusion. But the visions refused to be ignored after all these weeks of denial. She was too tired to fight them back down now, though. She saw herself fighting Dean in what looked like a gym. But it wasn't a real fight. They were training and having fun. He was smiling and laughing while she blocked hit after hit from him. He couldn't touch her no matter how hard he tried. And she had to hold herself back from hurting him when she went in for a blow.

The vision changed again. Only this time, Dean wasn't there. She was sitting in what looked like a closed department store. She felt weak, tired, ill. She looked around herself, and saw that there was another woman sitting in a chair next to her. She looked familiar. Faith. Her name was Faith. On the other side of Faith, was another woman that Buffy couldn't quite make out.

But neither of them were just sitting in their chairs, they were tied to them. There was a tube attached to Faith's neck, running to a bag filled with blood overhead. Buffy blinked and saw that she was tied to her chair too. She moved her neck and could feel a pinch as though there was a needle in her as well. Something was very wrong here. This didn't feel like the other visions that she'd had. This didn't feel like a memory of another life. This felt real. Current.

What was happening to her?

And then she saw the man. A terrifying man with glowing blue eyes and blue tattoos covering every visible part of his body. And he was coming toward Buffy. She tried to move, to break the binds that were holding her. She should have had the strength for it, but she was just so tired. So weak. And before she could do anything but squirm, the man had touched her cheek and she was back in her bedroom in Sunnydale.

Buffy's head snapped up and it was like a door had been opened in her head. None of this was real. Sunnydale was gone. Riley wasn't her boyfriend. He hadn't been in years. And Dean?

They'd been hunting, but she'd messed up. She'd allowed the djinn to touch her, sending her to this place. How could she have forgotten all that? Oh gods! Faith! That thing was going to kill them both if she didn't find a way to break out of this nightmare.

But how to break out? She needed help. She needed Giles, or Willow. But no, Willow had no power here. And there was no Giles here - not the one she needed anyway. So, who?

The answer came to her immediately – Dean.

She got up and pulled on some clothes, not really paying attention to what she was throwing on. She pulled out her phone and called him. It rang a few times and went to voicemail. So she tried again. And again. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer, so she texted him.

 ** _[Buffy]_** _Dean, I have to talk to you. Please call me back, it's life or death_

 ** _[Buffy]_** _I'm sorry. About everything._

He didn't respond, but a few minutes later, he called her back.

"What?" was all he said, when she answered.

"Dean, I need to see you. I need your help. I remember everything and I need to escape. Can you please meet me?"

"'Remember everything?' The hell does that mean?" came Dean's annoyed voice.

"I'll explain everything. Just meet me. Please. It's life or death," she said.

There was silence on the other line for a few seconds. Finally, he responded with simply, "where?"

She tried to get him to come back to her house, but he flat out refused. Finally, she convinced him to meet her at a local coffee shop. It was still fairly early, and hopefully the place wouldn't be too crowded. She ran down the stairs and jumped in her car. She got to the coffee house, which was, thankfully, as empty as she could hope. She ordered a latte and sat down to wait for Dean. It was several minutes before he showed up, still looking extremely angry.

He ordered a black coffee, pouring something from a flask into it when it arrived for him. Buffy didn't comment and simply waited for him to look at her. He was about to put his flask back in his pocket, when he stopped and took a swig instead. Finally, he looked up at her, but he still didn't say anything.

"Dean," she began. He didn't show any emotion on his face, just looked at her. "There's something wrong with me."

"That much is obvious," he said harshly. She cringed.

"OK, I deserved that. But that's not what I mean. I mean, there's something wrong with this world," she said quickly. He opened his mouth to undoubtedly make some retort, but she plowed on before he could say a word. "It's not real. It's a dream. Or a hallucination. Or something. I don't really know. But I need to wake up from it."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "This world is a dream?" he repeated, skeptically.

"Yes, I was kidnapped by a djinn! It trapped me here."

"The shit is a djinn?" he asked. He still showed nothing in his face.

"A genie. They kidnap people, trapping them in another universe inside their own minds. They drink blood, and this…" she gestured around herself to the world she was trapped in, "…keeps the victims submissive," she explained.

Dean's lips quirked up in a mocking smile. "A genie," he said slowly. "Is holding you against your will in this world, which is only in your mind? I thought genies were supposed to grant wishes. You wished for this?"

"No!" she exclaimed, then she stopped, thinking. She hadn't really made a wish, but she knew what she'd been thinking about the night before she'd started hunting the djinn. But this wasn't exactly her idea of what "meeting Dean under normal circumstances" would have meant to her. Apparently, it was up to the djinn to interpret. "Well, sort of," she conceded.

"So, you're insane?" he said simply.

"No! Look, you've got to be one of the best hunters out there. You must know a way to wake up from a forced dream," she said.

"I'm a hunter?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. He was patronizing her now.

"I'm not making this up," she said exasperated. Of course, this version of Dean would be a skeptic. "I need to wake up and go back to the real world. The djinn is killing me and my friend."

Her phone dinged at that moment and she glanced at it. Dawn was texting her.

 ** _[Dawnie]_** _Hey sis. Just wanted to touch base with you. Sorry about last night, but I do still need your help with some of the planning. You free this afternoon?_

Buffy ignored it. "Please, Dean. You must have some ideas in that overly attractive head of yours."

Dean laughed outright now. But there was no humor in the sound. "You've lost your mind. Suddenly I'm glad that things went the way they did. Got me out nice and quick."

Buffy's phone started ringing then. She almost growled at Dean, and impulsively answered it.

"What?" she asked as a greeting, not bothering to look at who it was.

"Buff, look, I know we need to talk. Things have been strained for a few weeks – don't think I haven't noticed it. I'm still pissed, but I also still love you. Can I see you?"

Buffy hung up on Riley.

"Dean, please listen to me," she begged. "I need your help on this."

Dean stood up, clearly annoyed now. "No, princess. You said this was a life or death situation…"

"It is!"

"… so I came. And this is the supposed problem? You're nuts. Man, do I know how to pick 'em?" he started to move toward the door before he turned and spoke again. "You know what? You want to know how to break out of a dream? Dying usually wakes me up out of my dreams. But I wouldn't suggest it, not in this case. You're just crazy enough to try."

Buffy stared at him as he turned his back on her. He was furious, and it showed. But then it hit her. He was right! Dying in a dream meant waking up. She jumped to her feet, excitedly. She spilled her latte all over the floor, but she didn't currently care. She ran to Dean who had just made it to the door and she spun him around.

He momentarily forgot to be angry as she hugged him. "Thank you!" she said. She slid her hand down from his back and deftly slipped it into his front pocket, stealing the knife that he kept there. She pulled it out and backed up several feet, flicking it open.

"Buffy, no!" Dean said, suddenly panicked. "I wasn't serious. What are you doing?"

"Killing myself," she said calmly, pointing the blade toward her chest.

"Buffy, stop!" he cried, reaching for the knife.

"I'll see you soon, Dean. Thank you."

His hand just managed to reach hers, as she plunged the knife into her chest with as much force as she could muster. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was Dean's anguished face. His eyes were full of tears as he reached to catch her.

Only she didn't fall. She opened her eyes in the department store. And now she was pissed. She was still weak and tired, but the anger, plus adrenaline, fueled her slayer strength, and she pulled herself free of the binds keeping her tied to the chair. The ropes broke with a snap and she stood up. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten that there was still a needle in her neck. She felt the pull of it when she stood, and she indelicately yanked it out.

She went over to Faith as quickly as her tired legs could carry her and broke the ropes holding her too. She then pulled the needle out of Faith's neck and was starting to try to wake her up, when her slayer sense told her a creature was approaching.

She spun, pulling out the knife that she'd had at the start of the hunt – apparently, the djinn hadn't bothered to rid her of it. He must not have considered it a threat. She didn't want to get whammied again, so she ran up to him as he approached, and stabbed him in the heart before he could do a single thing. Then she twisted the blade, and the damn djinn went out like a light.

And Faith woke up with a gasp. The other woman didn't move. She was already dead.

As the two of them walked out of the store, arms around each other for support, neither said anything. They were both exhausted and in pain. Weak from bloodloss. But Buffy's mind was racing.

And before she even realized it, she'd made a decision. Cleveland had stopped being home a long time ago. She was never going to be normal, and when she tried, she always ended up bored. And she really didn't want to be Slayer General again – that was just as bad as pretending to be normal.

But the last two months (not including the month she'd spent in the djinn world… how long had she really been in there anyway? A day? Less?) had been fun. Good. And she'd been happy, despite the world-ending threats. Those boys made her feel comfortable, at home. She wanted to stay at the bunker. She wanted to stay with the Winchesters, if they'd have her.

And she wanted Dean.

* * *

 **A/N:** You've probably figured out that we're coming up on the end here. 1 more chapter and the epilogue. And I hope you enjoyed this little return back to Sunnydale - it was fun to write this particular chapter.

Again, I want to thank everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed. It's really means a lot.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25  
Austin, TX  
St. Edward's Forest

Dean felt like he should say something. But what the hell could he possibly say? "Good riddance?" "We win, you dick?" "It's about damn time?" "Sorry. Not sorry?" None of that seemed adequate. So, instead, he flicked his zippo open and threw it into the open grave. And Lucifer's vessel went up in flames.

Sam and Dean stood there for several minutes watching the flames consume the body of one of their biggest enemies. Neither had said much after they'd stolen the body from the morgue and performed the necessary tests on it. Despite Crowley's reassurances that the Devil really was dead, they wanted to make sure from their end as best they could that it was true.

And all the tests agreed with Crowley's conclusion. That Lucifer had still been inside Nick's body when he was killed. That Lucifer, the Devil, Satan, the Adversary, the Serpent, and whatever other names he'd been given over the ages, really was dead. And then they did the only thing they could think of. Get rid of the body.

"I can't believe it's really over," Sam finally said, his voice quiet and pensive. "I mean, really, truly over. Lucifer's dead."

Dean simply nodded, still watching the flames as they rose above the hole they'd dug.

"Dude, think about it," Sam said suddenly, turning to look at Dean, half excited, half uncertain. "Azazel, Lilith, Dick Roman, Abaddon, Amara, Michael, Lucifer. They're all gone. And somehow, we're still here."

"Crowley and Rowena are still alive," Dean pointed out, looking at his brother morosely.

"Yeah, but we know them. They aren't the end-the-world-type evil. Hell, they've both helped save it on occasion. We can deal with them," Sam went on. "And hell's always gunna be there. I'd rather have them in charge than any of the others. At least we know where they stand. What they're capable of."

"Do we? Rowena has all sorts of powers now that we've probably never seen before," Dean said. For some reason, Sam's optimism was annoying him. Maybe because, as a natural skeptic, he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He still wasn't 100% convinced that Lucifer really was gone. It seemed too simple. And there was the issue that they didn't know who, or what, had killed him. Jack had been insistent that no one would be able to find Lucifer, so how? Maybe Dean shouldn't bother himself worrying about it; gift horses and all that.

"And we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Sam agreed. "But for now… I think it's time for a little R&R. Let's take a break – go see a game or a concert. It's been ages since we've done anything fun."

"We still don't know what's going on in heaven," Dean pointed out. Sam sighed and frowned at him. Dean relented then, a little; Sam's puppy dog eyes could be really annoying. "Alright. We can take a little time off. _After_ we hear from Jack and Cas."

"What about the girls? Don't you think they deserve a break too?"

"They can come, if they want," Dean said, trying to keep his face blank, watching the flames.

"Not if we're waiting until we get news from heaven. They're both leaving after that," Sam reminded him, watching his brother closely as he said it.

"Right…" Dean said, not meeting his brother's eyes.

That was something that he hadn't wanted to think about. Truth be told, he didn't want Buffy, or Faith actually, to leave. He was getting used to their company, and they made the bunker feel more alive – more like home than it ever had before. But that probably meant it was a good thing they were leaving. If they stuck around, he'd probably just get them both killed.

"You don't want her to leave, admit it," Sam said, half amused, half pityingly. Dean didn't think trying to deny it was even worth the effort. "Then ask her to stay." _No can do, Sammy. She deserves better than this life. Better than me._

"What about you and Faith?" Dean asked, turning the conversation and trying not to think about Buffy walking out of his life.

Sam actually laughed, "Oh, I can't deny that she's fun. A lot of fun. But I don't think either one of us have any interest in it going any further than that. Besides, it's more entertaining to watch you and Buffy dance around each other."

"Shut up."

Sam laughed again, shaking his head, "I've never seen you like this with a girl. The uncertainty. Even with Lisa, you were always clear with what you wanted."

 _That's because me and Lisa banged before we got to know each other_ , Dean admitted to himself. With Lisa, they'd been a one-night hook-up, and he'd never meant it to go beyond that. And it hadn't for over a decade. And at that point, he was so broken over Sam's "death" that there was no time to worry about how he felt about her. But he'd never slept with Buffy. And they'd been living under the same roof for nearly two months. It made things more complicated. That, and if his time was Lisa had taught him anything, it was that women who want anything more than sex with Dean Winchester were always going to be in danger. A lot of danger. Even the ones who _didn't_ run fist first into it…

So, yeah. He was hesitant.

They fell into silence, and eventually the flames started to lower, the body crumbling to ash. When there was nothing but cinders left, they filled in the hole and went back to the car.

After climbing in, and pulling away from the forest, Dean said, "So, Wyoming?"

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Any word from the girls?"

Sam checked his phone, "Nope. Must still be investigating. I'll give them a call, let them know we're on our way."

"That's gunna be a long trek," Dean noted.

Sam agreed and pulled up one of their numbers. After a minute of waiting for them at answer, Sam left a voicemail, "Hey Buffy. It's Sam. We're all set in Texas, and we're on our way to you. Just checking in. Let us know if you need anything, or if you've already wrapped it up, in which case, we'll just meet you back at the bunker." After that, Sam settled down in his seat to get some sleep.

Several hours later, Sam's phone rang, waking him up. "It's Buffy," he yawned, glancing at the screen.

"It's 4 in the morning, dude," Dean commented, looking at the phone quickly.

"Hey, Buffy, you're on speaker," Sam said, answering the call and rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"Sam, Dean," Buffy's voice sounded tired and strained.

"Yeah, you OK? You don't sound so hot," Dean said.

"Got whammied by a djinn," she explained simply.

"Oh, shit!" Dean exclaimed. "You two OK?"

"We'll live. We're back at our hotel now. We're going to try to get some sleep, and then we'll head back to the bunker," Buffy yawned then, causing Sam to yawn too.

"And you're sure you're both OK? The djinn is dead?" Sam asked.

"Yes, and yes," came Faith's voice from the background. "Now, shut up and let us sleep!"

Sam blinked in surprise, "Oh, OK. Sorry. I guess we'll see you tomorrow back at the bunker then."

"'Night guys," Buffy said before hanging up.

"A 'friggin genie," Dean said, consideringly. He shook his head. "How do you think they got out of the dream?"

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." And with that, Sam went back to sleep. Dean adjusted his course to head back to Kansas.

Dean collapsed in bed when they finally arrived back home. It was almost 11 in the morning, but he didn't have any windows in his room, so he had no trouble sleeping. It's not like hunters kept a normal schedule anyway.

While he didn't sleep deeply, he was tired enough that he slept for a while, and woke up in the early evening. Dean plopped himself down in the library, where Sam was sitting, eating a sandwich, and reading a thick leather-bound book.

"You call that R&R?" Dean asked, cup of coffee in hand.

"You're the one who wanted to wait until we heard from Cas and Jack," Sam said, without looking up.

"What about Buffy and Faith? Any word?"

Sam sighed and closed the book, "They just got back a few minutes ago, they're unpacking now." Sure enough, a few minutes later, both women appeared in the library. They both looked tired and gaunt, cheeks slightly hollow. They'd been drained of some of their blood, there was no doubt about that. Faith went over to the mini fridge and pulled out a beer.

"Whoa, maybe some water instead. And some protein?" Sam suggested.

Faith eyed him, and then popped open the beer, sat down and put her feet up on the table, taking a sip. She looked at him, a defiant smile on her face as though daring him to challenge her decision again. Buffy just sat down looking tired. Her hair was loose down her shoulders and back, and extremely messy, indicating just how tired she really was.

"So, you guys got trapped by a djinn, huh?" Dean asked, studying the two women.

"Oh yeah, was a total blast," Faith said sarcastically. "Trapped in bizarro land, only to be woken up feeling like a Capri Sun in bondage." Sam huffed out a laugh at the description.

"Yeah, I feel that. I got hit by one once too… Everything seemed so real, and yet it was clear that things weren't right. How'd you get out?" Dean asked.

"B killed the genie," Faith said. "I woke up after that."

"So, how'd you get out?" Dean said, turning to Buffy.

"Long story, but the hardest part was just remembering what was real," she said, running her fingers through her hair, trying to work out some of the knots.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked. Sam looked at her curiously too, but it was clear that Faith understood.

Buffy gave up trying to untangle her hair and sighed. "Well, it felt like I was in there for like 4 weeks. At first, I knew that it was wrong, and I tried to fight it, but as time went on, I started to forget the real world. And I had memories of that place like they'd really happened. Made it hard to hold on to the real thing and remember what I should have been doing," she explained.

"Wait. You were in there for a month?" Dean asked incredulously. "When it got me, it was only a few days."

"Maybe this one sped up the timeline in one's head to prevent real memories from surfacing?" Sam suggested. Buffy shrugged. Sam continued, curiously, "so, if you lost all your real world memories, how _did_ you get out?"

"I think the thing's mojo wore off after… well, I don't know, but suddenly it was like I was back in the real world, and that seemed to jog my memories after the thing sent me back in," she speculated. "In the end, someone reminded me that if you die in a dream, you wake up in real life. So, I killed myself."

"That's how I got out of mine too," Dean said, smiling at her. For some reason, she was looking at him thoughtfully. She seemed to be studying his face. Dean figured, maybe it was something to do with what she saw in there, but he wasn't about to pry into her dream spawned by a monster. Especially if he'd been in it…

"Huh," Sam said. "Well, if you guys are hungry, there's food in the kitchen."

"Wait," Buffy said, stopping Faith, who stood up at that. "What about you guys? What happened with Lucifer's body."

Sam and Dean both sighed at the same time. "You explain," Dean said, unable to bring himself to say it.

"Lucifer does seem to be dead, not sure how. And it appears that Rowena resurrected Crowley," Sam told them.

"Crowley? Didn't you say that he was the old King of Hell?" Buffy asked, looking surprised.

"That's the one," Dean said, nodding. "And Rowena has apparently crowned herself Queen of Hell. Crowley's back to running the Crossroads."

"You're kidding!" Buffy said, sounding shocked. "That witch took over hell?" Sam and Dean both nodded.

"That's the rumor anyway," Dean told her.

"Rowena? She's that red-head witch who came with you guys to the other Earth, right?" Faith asked, looking curious. "She's the Queen of Hell now? Is that going to be an issue?"

"More than likely," Dean sighed. Buffy closed her eyes, shaking her head, tiredly.

"I need food," Faith said, standing up unexpectedly and walking out of the room. She seemed a little off to Dean. What had she seen in her little alternate reality? Knowing her, she'd probably never tell any of them. She wasn't exactly one to overshare.

XXXX

Over the next day, Dean noticed a distinct disconnect with Faith and Buffy. Whatever they'd seen in their genie dreams was clearly affecting them a bit. Buffy seemed to have found some kind of confidence, as though she'd made some decision, but at the same time, she seemed almost nervous. The day after they'd come back, Dean accidentally overheard Buffy and Sam talking in the kitchen after he'd come back from a supply run.

"Well, you know what I think," Sam was saying. "But you know that you have to talk to Dean about this."

"Talk to me about what?" he asked, walking in. Sam's eyes went wide in surprise, and he immediately glanced at Buffy, who'd gone very red. She immediately stood up, mumbled something about "the bathroom," and rushed out.

"Do I smell?" Dean asked, watching her go before looking back at his brother in confusion.

"Usually," Sam said, smiling innocently. "Don't worry about her."

"You gunna share with the class?"

"That's Buffy's issue. Leave me out of it," Sam said, holding up his hands, palms out toward Dean as though in surrender.

 _She's leaving_ , he thought immediately. _She's realized her mistake in staying here, and she doesn't want to stick around and wait for Cas anymore._ He'd known it was coming, but still, it hurt. What was worse, it seemed to be hurting Buffy too. Maybe Sam had been right, maybe they could use some time off.

He turned back to his brother. "Let's go out tonight," he proposed. Sam looked at him in surprise and Dean continued, "All four of us. We deserve a night off before they leave – you were right about that. Let's go get some drinks."

"You'll have to ask Faith and Buffy about that. I'll join if they want to go out," Sam said noncommittally, shrugging his shoulders.

Dean left the kitchen, after putting away the food and drinks that he'd bought, and went in search of the girls. He found Faith first. She was just coming out of her room, and she still looked tired.

"Hey," he said.

"Sup, Rocky?" she asked when she saw him.

"I was thinking…" he began.

"Was it hard?" she cut in before he could continue, a teasing grin forming on her face.

"I'll recover. Anyway, the thing is, Lucifer's dead. You just finished a tough hunt. Sam and I were thinking that we should take the night off. Go gets some drinks or something. Any interest?"

She seemed to consider him for a moment, then her grin widened. "Sounds like a blast," and then she punched him playfully in the arm. He tried not to wince or show how much it actually hurt. Friggin' slayers. "Have fun convincing B to join though," she added after a second. "She doesn't like fun."

Dean laughed, remembering Faith and Buffy back in that bar all those years ago. He could see why Faith might think that. He doubted that Buffy was normally one to hang out in a bar, dancing with random guys. Faith, on the other hand…

"I'm sure I can talk her into it," he said, a smile still on his face.

"I'll bet you can," she winked and turned, heading toward the kitchen.

He watched her go, unable to help the feeling that he would miss her when she left. Faith was a good time. Then he remembered that when she left, it meant that Buffy would be leaving too, and he felt his face fall. Well, if he was going to lose his slayer, he may as well have one last drink with her before she left. And since it seemed that she'd decided to leave sooner rather than later, he might as well have that drink tonight.

And then she'd be on her way home. To Cleveland and her safe, retired life.

He found Buffy's door closed, and he gently knocked.

"Come in," came her soft voice from inside.

He opened the door, and caught a glimpse of Buffy, lying on her bed, smiling, and reading what appeared to be the first _Supernatural_ book. When she saw him, she audibly gasped, closed the book quickly, shoving it under her pillow, and sat up. That was subtle. She turned a shade of pink that matched her tank top.

"Seriously?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He wanted to be annoyed. He hated those stupid books after all, but the sight of her looking so relaxed in the room – her room – made him smile.

"It's not what it looks like," she said quickly.

"Oh, so you weren't just reading about me and Sammy's lives?" he said sarcastically, folding his arms and trying to look disapproving.

Her face reddened further, and she looked guilty, "OK, got me. Xander let me borrow the first book before we left. I was curious, sue me." Dean couldn't help it, he actually laughed. She was too cute. She raised her eyebrows at his reaction. "I thought you'd be pissed?"

He stopped laughing, and smiled at her, shaking his head, "Oh, I am. But not at you. Chuck, on the other hand, really has something coming to him one of these days."

"Isn't he God?"

"Yeah, but c'mon. We've both faced gods before. When has that ever stopped people like us?" he asked.

"Actually, I was under the impression that most hunters will back down when faced with a god?" Buffy pointed out. "Aren't you and Sam kinda the exception?"

"Maybe… OK, you might have a point there. But my statement holds. I'll get him for those books one day," he said. "If you could get back at the person who wrote those comics about your life, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, I did," Buffy grinned, looking pleased with herself. She didn't elaborate, and Dean had to control his desire to know that story. He studied her, and she was watching him with a smile on her face.

Then her face fell, just slightly, and she looked nervous. Dean realized that she was about to tell him that she was leaving, so he spoke up before she could. "Sammy, Faith, and me were talking about going out tonight. Since it doesn't look like the world is ending, and Lucifer's dead and all. Waddya say, sweetheart? Drinks?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and she tilted her head in thought. Then she smiled and said, "That sounds like fun. Count me in."

"Awesome. I'll go tell the others," he said. And before he could make an ass out of himself by saying something flirty and stupid, he left, going back toward the kitchen to meet up with Sam and Faith.

He found them both sitting at the table, drinking coffee, and chatting amicably.

"Buffy's in," he informed them. Sam smiled, and Faith genuinely looked surprised.

"B agreed to come out for drinks? Damn, it's like she's refound her inner high school chick. After Sunnydale was destroyed, she stopped going out completely, taking the 'Slayer General' thing waaaaay too seriously," Faith explained. "Way to go, Deano. Although, if she starts trying to kill me, we've gone too far back…"

Sam and Dean both stared at her and she just shrugged, chuckling, and didn't elaborate.

"You got her to go out in Cleveland," Dean pointed out.

"What?" she asked, looking at him, genuinely confused.

"14 years ago. I saw you both, dancing at a bar. Well… you were dancing. She was humoring you," he told her.

Faith furrowed her brows, trying to remember. Then she shook her head, "Nope, I got nothing. 14 years? I've been in Walking Dead territory for the last 5, you think I remember some random night 14 years ago?" She laughed then and added, "but I didn't realize that you've been carrying a torch for her for quite that long…"

Sam laughed. Dean did his best not to react, shaking his head, but he knew that the teasing was meant in good humor. And even he couldn't deny it at this point.

"Sam! Dean!" came a deep, gravelly voice, calling from the library. Sam and Faith stopped laughing and they all turned in the direction of the voice. That was Cas. As one, they got up and went into the library. Apparently, Buffy had heard it too, because she walked in right after them, looking curious.

Cas and Jack were both standing by one of the tables, waiting for them. They looked the same as ever, and Dean hadn't expected anything new in Cas, but for some reason, a part of him had been expecting Jack to look different. Older, maybe? The only real difference was that Jack looked significantly more tired.

"Cas! Jack! Welcome back," Sam said, smiling. He walked up and hugged them both. Dean, Buffy, and then Faith all hugged them too. The angel and the Nephilim smiled at the group and looked genuinely pleased to see them.

"Where's Mary and the others?" Jack asked, looking toward the doors as though expecting them to make an appearance. Sam explained how they'd all gone to Cleveland. Jack looked a little disappointed that Mary, in particular, wasn't there.

"How's heaven?" Sam asked, sitting down. Everyone else followed his example, and soon they were all sitting around one table.

"Working to restore some semblance of order," Cas said, also sounding tired. "But things seemed to have settled down now. We both wanted to come down and let you know what was going on."

"And I needed to get out of there," Jack added. "It's good to be home."

Dean smiled and clapped Jack on the shoulder, "Glad to hear that you still think of this place as home."

"Speaking of which, how did you get in here? Willow's extra wardings are all still up," Sam asked.

Cas looked at Jack, who glanced down, slightly embarrassed. "The wardings don't work on me. Sorry, guys. I was able to go right through them and bring Cas with me."

Sam laughed, and Dean felt himself smiling. "Shoulda known that it wouldn't keep the all-powerful Jack Kline outta here," he said.

"Glad you're on our side," Faith added, a half-grin on her face. Buffy smiled and nodded at that.

"Sounds like you've got the teleporting thing down then?" Sam asked.

"Yes, Jack has become quite adept at using many of his abilities," Cas agreed.

"So, what's the sitch in heaven?" Buffy asked.

"Well, at first there was some debate about how things should be run going forward. There's generally always been one leader for the angels to follow, historically," Cas explained.

"Yeah, and we've seen how well that's worked out," Dean said, sarcastically.

"So, what'd you do, bring democracy to heaven?" Sam asked, laughing.

"Actually, that's exactly what we did," Jack said, looking at the tall hunter. Sam stopped laughing, and blinked at the two heavenly beings in surprise.

"You're joking?" Dean said, staring at them.

"No," Cas said. "There was some skepticism around it in heaven, since it's become clear how it can be corrupted and polluted here on Earth. But it was the best option. We held a general election for key positions, the Prime Host being the head of a governing body."

"Some wanted Cas or me to just take over," Jack added as an aside. "They didn't like the idea of establishing a formal government. They've seen what governments can do."

"But I didn't think that was a good idea. And too many still distrust us and would have opposed any rule we tried to take," Cas explained. "And many others still believe that we should be imprisoned or killed. But fortunately, Jack has gained some support in our time up there. He's restored the majority of the Fallen's wings. And he's working to reopen the Gates."

"Wow," Dean said. "Never thought I'd see this day…" Then he turned to study Jack and smiled. "I'm proud of you, kid."

"You said you already held the elections?" Sam asked. "So, who's in charge now?"

"Phanuel won the election for Prime Host, and his Second is Israfil. They are both good and honest angels, who have worked hard over many years to protect mankind. They will govern heaven for 50 years, or until they step down," Cas told them.

"50 years? That's a helluva term limit," Buffy commented.

"Yeah, but think about the lifespan of an angel," Sam pointed out. Buffy nodded in understanding.

"Phanuel has asked both Jack and I to work with him as advisers, as he believes that we hold a better understanding of humanity than most," Cas added. "We agreed."

"But we're still going to be seeing you guys," Jack put in quickly. "I made it clear to them that you're my family, and while we're going to work to fix heaven and all that, I intend to see you as often as I can." He smiled at them. Dean felt himself smiling back. It was such an innocent and sincere thing to say. Dean genuinely hoped that he didn't lose that innocence too fast. "And if you guys ever need us, we're only a prayer away – I can hear those now," Jack added.

"Yes, but in the short term," Cas said, "I think our time will be best spent in heaven. There is still much confusion and suspicion in the wake of Lucifer's defeat."

"Speaking of which…" Sam said, looking pointedly at Dean. Yeah, they had to be told, if they didn't know already. Dean nodded, and Sam continued, "Have you heard what happened to Lucifer?"

Cas and Jack both looked surprised and confused at the question. They both shook their heads. Sam looked at Dean again, tilting his head, silently asking if he wanted to tell them. Dean sighed and said, "Lucifer's body was found in Texas a few days ago. He's dead."

"What?" Both Jack and Cas said at the same time. Jack looked conflicted, Cas simply shocked.

"Well, at least, his vessel's body – Nick – turned up. Stabbed by an angel blade, though we don't know who did it," Sam told them.

"We did quite a few tests on it though… All signs pointed to Lucifer still being inside when he was kabobbed," Dean added.

"I don't understand how this is possible," Cas said, turning to Jack, who now appeared to be in shock. "I thought you said that no angel or demon would be able to find him?"

"And they shouldn't have been able to, I'm sure of it," Jack said quietly, staring at the table in thought.

"Well, I think that's your answer," Faith said. They all looked at her. Her expression said that she'd considered this before but hadn't wanted to say anything just yet. "No angel or demon… He was killed by a human."

There was silence around the table while everyone considered this possibility. She had a point. Jack had specifically said that "no angels or demons" would be able to find him, but he'd never included humans in that. And there were plenty of angel blades in rotation, even among humans these days, that she might be right. It still seemed highly unlikely that he was killed by an angel blade by coincidence. No, someone else had seen this loophole, and they'd sent a human to find Lucifer and kill him.

Dean found himself nodding. It was the first logical conclusion he'd heard since they'd discovered Lucifer's body.

"And you're sure that Lucifer was still in the vessel when it was killed?" Cas said, sounding cautious.

"As sure as we can be. Crowley seemed to think so too," Dean said.

"Crowley?!" Cas exclaimed, sounding shocked. Right, that would be important news too… They explained about Crowley's reappearance and subsequent news of hell.

Cas sat, looking stunned for a moment, then he sighed, and turned to Jack, who was still sitting quietly, unfocused. "This is important news that we must share with heaven. I'm sure a separate investigation will be launched to confirm all this," he said.

Jack simply nodded, then looked up at the others still sitting around the table, "I'm sorry we can't stay longer. Maybe when I've got the Gates of Heaven open again, I'll have some more time. But don't worry, if you need us, just call. You're still our family."

Jack and Cas both stood then, and nodded to them. Jack put a hand on Cas' shoulder and they both vanished with the sound of flapping wings.

Dean looked around at the others, who were still sitting quietly around the table, "So… drinks?"

XXXX

The two hunters and two slayers found themselves in a local pub, called "The Quarry." It was a Friday night, which meant they had a live band playing – mostly covers of classic rock songs, which made Dean happy.

They sat at a booth, ordered their drinks, some wings and nachos, and listened to the music. Buffy seemed happy, Sam and Faith both looked comfortable. Dean wanted to be as comfortable as the others, but there was one thought plaguing his mind as he sipped his beer.

They got the news from heaven that they'd been waiting for. Which meant that both Faith and Buffy would probably be on their way back to Cleveland tomorrow. Of course, Buffy had already decided to head out, so he guessed that it really didn't make that much of a difference. But he'd only been assuming that that was the decision she'd come to – he had no proof. But now, it didn't matter.

They ate their wings and nachos, while exchanging stories, laughing and joking. Sam and Dean kept trying to outdo the other with embarrassing stories, which worked to keep the girls laughing. They ordered another round, and Buffy launched into a story where Faith had mistaken a nun for a shapeshifter, scaring the poor old woman out of her mind. Faith scowled, saying "never trust a nun," which only made Sam and Dean laugh harder.

When Dean and Faith were on their third drinks and Sam and Buffy were still nursing their seconds, Faith grabbed Sam's arm, pulling him to his feet. "C'mon, Big-N-Tall, let's dance." Buffy and Dean both burst out laughing at the surprised and terrified look on Sam's face as he was forced to his feet and dragged onto the dance floor, filled mostly with couples in their 50's and 60's.

Buffy and Dean watched the other two for a while in silence, laughing and shaking their heads at their friends. Faith was in full I'm-sexy-and-I-know-it mode, and Sam simply looked uncomfortable; both at the whole idea of dancing, and the suggestive way that Faith was hanging off of him. She had a look on her face that said quite clearly that she knew what she was doing, and his reaction was exactly what she'd expected and hoped for.

Eventually, Dean noticed Buffy take a large sip of her drink before she said, "Dean, can I talk to you?"

"Famous words that no man ever wants to hear…" Dean commented, watching her.

She looked at him confused and then said, "You should know that you were the one who made me realize how to get out of the djinn world."

"Buffy, look, I know what you're going to tell me, and I get it," Dean said quickly, trying to ignore the curious part of him that just found out that a version of him had been in her genie dream.

"You do?" she looked surprised as she tilted her head at him.

"Of course. We got the news from heaven. It's time for you and Faith to go home," he said somberly. He tried not to let the sadness he felt show in his face.

"What?" she said, looking more surprised than before. "No, listen. I realized something when I got out of that world." He wanted to say something, but held himself back and she continued, "My life was normal there. I wasn't a slayer. I still lived in Sunnydale. I had a long-term boyfriend who loved me."

He furrowed his brows confused. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Faith spin and press her back up against Sam's front. Sam was swaying slightly and still looked uncomfortable. He refocused on Buffy and whatever she was trying to tell him.

"I was bored out of my mind, Dean. I was there for 4 weeks, and I was so bored. Until I met you," she told him. He raised his eyebrows at her in curiosity. "You were normal, an auto mechanic trying to fix my car. Even normal…" she hesitated, not finishing the sentence. She shook her head, "The point is, I've tried the whole 'being normal' thing. It's not meant for me. And I just felt alone. I could go back to Cleveland, start working with the Slayer Org again, but I was basically alone there too. But… here, with you and Sam. I haven't felt that." She paused to take a breath, then took another large sip of her drink. She wasn't meeting his eyes, instead, she was staring at the table near her hand. _Is she saying what I think she's saying?_

"I've felt at home here. You and Sam, I think you both understand me better than almost anyone else. I was hoping… I was hoping I could stay? Maybe help you with your hunts?" she said, breathily. This is what she'd been nervous about, Dean realized. She wasn't planning to leave. She was hoping to stay! _No! She'll get herself killed!_ a small voice in his head shouted. A larger part of his mind, the part that still believed in hope, shoved it away.

He studied her for a minute, and when he didn't say anything she finally looked up and met his eyes. She was afraid he'd reject her. Why? It wasn't a secret that he felt something for her. _Maybe because I've tried to stop her from joining us so many_ times, that small annoying voice said. _Send her home! She'll be safer there!_ But she said she felt at home here. That she didn't want to be alone. "Is that the only reason you want to stay?" he heard himself ask.

She blinked in surprise, and opened her mouth and closed it a few times, clearly uncertain how to answer.

"You're not telling me everything," he said suddenly, studying her. "What else happened in that dream of yours?" Her face suddenly burned, and he knew what had happened. He couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face. "Was I that good? Rocked your world, didn't I?" he asked shamelessly, the flirt in him coming out naturally.

The red on her face vanished and she rolled her eyes, but then she grinned. "It's loud in here. Let's get some fresh air."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but followed her outside. They passed Sam and Faith, who were still dancing. It seemed like Sam had relaxed a little and was moving more comfortably, hands on Faith's waist. Buffy shook her head at them as they passed. Neither seemed to notice Buffy and Dean leaving.

When they were outside the building, Buffy turned and started walking down the street, not bothering to see if Dean was following her. What was she doing? Finally, she stopped and turned to look at him.

"Trying to get me alone, sweetheart? All you had to do was…" he was cut off by Buffy's lips as they crashed into his own. Her arms were thrown around his neck, pulling him tightly down to her.

He blinked once in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back. Her lips were soft and tasted slightly of cherries. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss and pulling her body flush to his. After a minute, Buffy loosened her grip and pulled away slightly. But she was still holding on to him, their faces mere inches apart.

"Even better than the dream," she said, smiling. "I want to stay here with you, Dean."

"Good," was all he could say, grinning back at her. That small part of him that kept saying that he'd get her killed was crushed by every other thought and hope in his head. She wanted to stay with him. He didn't have to say goodbye. She chuckled at his reaction and kissed him again. This time it was gentle, and he could feel the passion and heat coming off of her as he kissed her back.

She pulled away again. _Damnit – was this going to be a common thing with this girl?_ "Just know, Winchester," she started, suddenly looking serious. He blinked in surprise and she continued, "I'm not a one-night-stand kinda girl."

"The thought never even crossed my mind," he said innocently. But he couldn't stop the wicked grin that appeared on his face and he amended his statement, "OK. Maybe once… or twice…" She laughed and shook her head. Then she held him, resting her head on his chest. Her warm hands were holding tightly on to his back and he realized how comfortable this felt. How good.

They returned to the pub hand in hand, to find Faith and Sam back in their booth. When Buffy saw them, she quickly let go of Dean's hand. He looked at her, confused, but didn't say anything as they returned to the table with the others. He tried not to feel too hurt. She was probably just trying to hide what had happened from Sam and Faith. Though, for what reason, Dean wasn't sure.

"There you are," Faith said cheerfully. "We were wondering where you got to."

"Wanted some fresh air," Buffy said idly, shrugging and pulling her drink in front of her again. Sam looked at Dean sideways, clearly asking what had really happened. And then Dean realized what Sam and Buffy had been talking about in the kitchen earlier that day. Buffy had asked Sam if she could stay first. Dean looked at him, silently communicating that Buffy was staying, his face only showing a very small half-smile. But, as expected, Sam got the message and smiled back at him and then at Buffy.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?" Faith asked, looking at the three of them, and sounding annoyed.

They got back to the bunker pretty late, and everyone basically adjourned to their own beds at that point. Buffy didn't say much to Dean as she headed to her room, which confused him more than ever. Why the cold shoulder? After what had just happened… it didn't make sense.

Dean laid in his bed that night, light still on, trying to figure out what was going on in that petite blonde's head. But then a knock came at the door. Was it too much to hope that it was Buffy? He invited whoever it was to come in, and he sat up.

"Hi Dean," Buffy said, coming in and closing the door behind her. She was wearing blue, flannel, cotton pajamas that looked extremely warm and cozy. They had polar bears on them. Her feet were bare. He studied her for a moment, still unsure about what was going on.

"Look," she said. "I'm sorry I kinda brushed you off. If Faith had seen us holding hands, we never would have heard the end of it. She's leaving tomorrow. I figured we could wait one more day before any more PDA?"

The look she gave him then was both sorry and pleading. Was that really all that was? She just didn't want to be teased by Faith? Was that a good enough reason for confusing him like that? He studied her again, and the way she looked, in those pajamas, her face looking guilty, her hair tied back in a ponytail. He couldn't resist – she was too cute.

"OK. But…" he grinned at her, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "We're not in public now…"

And suddenly, her guilty looking face became a wicked grin. He stood up and they met in the middle of the room, crashing together in a fury. This kiss was different from the ones before too. It was fierce, strong, passionate. She wanted him, and he definitely wanted her. She pushed him backward until his knees hit the bed and he fell onto his back, bouncing slightly on the mattress.

He grinned up at her as she slowly lowered herself down over him. "You know," he said, pleasantly. "I think you owe me for how you treated me tonight."

"Fair enough," she said, before her lips fell back down to meet his. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled into the kiss. He'd never waited so long to be with a woman. But something told him that this girl would be worth it...

The next morning, Dean awoke to Buffy getting out of bed, and quickly putting her pajamas back on. He watched her, enjoying the view of her bare body before it was tragically covered back up. He glanced at his phone, it was barely 6.

"What are you doing?" he asked, tiredly.

"I want to get back to my room before Faith gets up," she said quickly.

"Buffy, this is ridiculous. Come back to bed. Who cares if Faith teases you for one whole morning?" he pointed out. She eyed him, clearly thinking it over, but then she shook her head, and opened the door, peering out cautiously. Then she sent him a wink and a grin, and slipped out into the hallway. She closed his door behind her.

Dean sighed and fell back on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, remembering the events from the night before happily. After 20 minutes, he realized that he wasn't going to fall back asleep and got up, pulling on his bathrobe.

To his surprise, he found Sam sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"What the hell are you doing up so early?" Dean asked. He walked over to the counter, poured himself a cup, and sat down. A stray napkin was sitting on the table in front of him and he picked it up, intending to throw it away.

"I'm usually up by now. What are _you_ doing up?" Sam shot back, eyeing his brother curiously.

"Woke up," Dean said casually. An image of Buffy, naked, hovering over him, swam before his eyes and he couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face.

"Buffy trying to sneak back into her room?" Sam guessed. Dean stared at him, surprised. "Oh, c'mon, dude. It wasn't hard to figure out. Also, I saw her going back to her room a little while ago. Took you long enough…"

"You're a dick," Dean said, chuckling and throwing the napkin that he'd been fiddling with at his brother. Sam caught it and laughed.

"Let me guess, she doesn't want Faith to know until after she's left?" Sam ventured. Dean nodded, and Sam laughed again, shaking his head. "No point, if you ask me. Faith is already well aware, I'm sure. She's not an idiot. So… Buffy's staying here then?"

Dean couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at the thought. Buffy was staying here. It was more than he could have hoped.

"I assume that you told her it was OK when she asked you yesterday?" Dean asked his brother.

"Give me some credit, man. Of course I told her it was OK," Sam said, sounding surprised that Dean even had to ask. Dean nodded, and they fell into silence, drinking their coffees.

A few hours later, both Faith and Buffy appeared. Sam and Dean had moved to the library by then; Sam reading from some book, Dean browsing the internet. Both girls were carrying mugs of coffee. Buffy was still in her pajamas, but Faith was fully dressed.

"So, I'm just about packed up," she announced when Sam and Dean looked up at their entrance.

"Heading back to Cleveland?" Sam asked.

"Figure I should probably make an appearance at HQ before Andrew hunts me down. The idjit's been texting me non-stop ever since I got a new phone. I'm gunna kill whoever gave him the number… He keeps asking when his 'wayward sister' would be coming home," she rolled her eyes, but something in her face hinted that a part of her almost missed the little nerd. Almost. _Did she just say "idjit?"_ Dean smiled at the Bobbyism that Faith had apparently picked up.

"'Make an appearance?'" Sam repeated. "You aren't sticking around once you get there?"

"No way. If Buffy doesn't have to return home, neither do I," she said. Buffy's mouth fell open, and she stared at the brunette slayer. Sam eyed Dean, a small smile on his face, his expression clearly saying, "told you so." Faith looked back at Buffy and then laughed outright. "Oh, c'mon, B. You're not as subtle as you think. A blind man could see what's going on between you two. Frankly, I just can't believe it took you this long."

Dean found himself smiling at the shocked expression on Buffy's face. Sam was not bothering to hide his amusement. Finally, Buffy sighed and sat down next to Dean, almost in defiance. Faith just laughed again and shook her head.

"It's about damn time," she muttered, smiling. Then she turned to Sam, "I'm gunna keep that car for a while, if you don't mind. Andrew will most likely make me get a…" she eyed Buffy, still grinning, "legitimate one, but I'll need something to get me out to Cleveland, and I don't really feel like riding a bus."

"So, where are you gunna go after Cleveland?" Dean asked curiously.

"Not sure. Maybe I'll hunt," she suggested thoughtfully.

"On your own?" Sam said, sounding serious and slightly worried.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Chewbacca. Slayer, remember. I'll be OK," she said. Then she looked at Sam fondly, pulled him to his feet and into a fierce kiss. Sam was clearly startled, but he kissed her back, hands on her waist. Buffy and Dean both watched them in surprise, both shifting uncomfortably when it lasted more than a few seconds. Finally, after what felt like a ridiculously long time to Dean, they broke apart.

"Thanks for the fun, Sammy," Faith said, actually patting his cheek. She turned to Buffy and Dean, addressing all three of them now, "Give me a call if you jackasses get in over your head." Then she turned to Sam again, winked and added, "or if you just want some fun."

Then startling everyone, she hugged both Buffy and Dean before she turned and started to walk out. But then she spun around, a twinkle in her eye, as she looked at Buffy and Dean, "And you two," she said. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"There's nothing you wouldn't do," Buffy called after her as Faith left the room without another word. They could hear her chuckling in the hallway, as she went to get her bags and head out.

The three of them that remained hung out for a little while, and Buffy got herself some breakfast before Sam announced that he was going to go pick up some stuff he needed. He was vague on what exactly it was he needed, and before Dean could even question his brother, he'd left the bunker.

Dean eyed Buffy, smiling as she scrolled through something on her phone. She hadn't questioned Sam's bizarre exit, or maybe simply hadn't noticed it. "I'm glad that you're staying," he told her, honestly. She looked up from her phone, smiling.

"Me too," she said. She glanced around the room then, looking like she was taking it in for the first time. Her smile broadened, and she added, "It's good to be home."

* * *

 **A/N:** End of Part III


	27. Epilogue

Epilogue

3 weeks later  
Roseburg, OR  
Fairhill Drive

"I'm telling you, there was nothing there!" Kelsey said, angrily.

"And I'm telling you, she was sitting on my chest! She was trying to choke me," Keith shot back. "How could you not see her?"

Sam, Dean, and Buffy were sitting across from the couple in their dining room. Buffy fidgeted, feeling awkward watching the couple's argument about the events from two nights previously. Sam and Dean were both glancing at each other, seeming to read each other's minds. It was incredible to her how they always seemed to know what the other was thinking with a single look. She'd never been able to do that with anyone, except maybe Willow sometimes. But this went so much further than that. Probably because they'd been hunting together their whole lives.

"Look!" shouted Keith, grabbing his collar and pulling it down. Red marks were clearly visible there. Buffy would put money on strangulation. "Does that look made up to you?" he asked harshly.

"You probably just pulled your tie too tightly around your neck accidentally, or something," Kelsey said dismissively, waving a hand. "I can't believe you called the cops about nothing! And now the FBI are here! Is that what you wanted?"

"I _want_ that woman – if that's what she even was – found," Keith tried to explain again. "She tried to kill me."

"You were having a nightmare, Keith," Kelsey said, rolling her eyes. "And now you're wasting everyone's time on this."

"Ms. Jordan, Mr. McCanister. Please, if you'll both calm down," Sam said, trying to sound soothing. Buffy shifted in her chair at the look Kelsey threw him. The look said, "I'm perfectly calm, and how dare you imply otherwise." Buffy hated this impersonating federal agents thing that the boys favored, but she couldn't deny that it seemed to make people open their doors and talk to them a bit easier. Sam continued, ignoring the angry look from Kelsey, "We are taking this report seriously. Mr. McCanister, we would like to hear what you saw in your own words, if you don't mind."

"I already told the cops everything," he said, still annoyed. "Why do I have to do this again?"

"We're conducting our own investigation," Dean explained. "We've read the report, but we would still like to hear it from you."

"There was nothing there," Kelsey breathed out angrily.

"Ms. Jordan, please. We're trying to get to the bottom of this. Mr. McCanister, if you don't mind," Dean said. He was using a calm voice, but Buffy could tell that he was annoyed at her interference.

Keith threw Kelsey a triumphant look before turning back to the three of them. "Things felt weird the second we moved into this house," he said. "Mice in the basement. Food going bad overnight. And then I started to have nightmares…"

"Even if the woman was real, how is any of _that_ relevant?" Kelsey interrupted.

"Because I'm not sure she was a woman," Keith said. It was clear that he'd tried to explain this to her several times. Kelsey rolled her eyes again. "It's something about this house!" He turned to eye Buffy and the Winchesters, "I'm not crazy. And I'm not making this up."

"We believe you," Buffy said, pleasantly. "Please go on."

Keith smiled. "Well the nightmares started off kinda stupid, but they all had the same thing happen to me in them. You know, that feeling when you can't move or speak at all."

"You mean sleep paralysis?" Sam asked curiously.

"That's it!" Keith nodded. "Yeah, it always felt like no matter what, I couldn't move or do anything. It was terrifying. But two nights ago, I guess I managed to wake up from one of these nightmares, and there was this woman sitting on my chest choking me."

Kelsey huffed then, crossing her arms and legs in frustration. Everyone ignored her.

"What did she look like?" Dean asked.

"Dark, but pale at the same time. Long wispy hair – almost like straw. And she had the most pointed nose I've ever seen – it was practically a beak. And she was wearing a scarf around her head… or maybe a hood? And her hands were long and pointed, like they were claws. But the worst thing was her eyes. When I looked into her eyes, I felt that same paralysis that I'd felt in all those nightmares. I couldn't move. I couldn't scream. But then it was like she realized I was awake, and she vanished. I don't know how, maybe I was just so freaked out, I missed her leaving… but I swear. She was real." Keith was looking each one of them in the eye, begging them to believe him. Buffy did, but she'd never heard of anything like this.

Sam and Dean, on the other hand glanced at each other, another knowing look passing between them. Whatever this was, they were already familiar with it.

"Listen, Keith, Kelsey," Dean said carefully, using their first names. "We've been tracking this woman for some time. And the thing is, she tends to stick around one house until her victim leaves or… well… never mind that. But we would like to ask you a favor."

"You seriously believe this?" Kelsey asked incredulously.

"We do," Sam said.

Keith looked at Kelsey, a relieved grin on his face, then he turned back to Dean, "Thank you. But… what do you need from us?"

"We need you to leave," Dean said bluntly.

Sam threw his brother an are-you-kidding-me look and amended Dean's statement, "What my partner means, is that in order to catch this woman, we will need to stay here tonight. Is there somewhere you can stay for the night? A friend, or a motel?"

"My moms don't live far from here. We can stay with them," Keith said. Kelsey looked uncertain. She cast Sam and Dean a wary look as though she didn't trust them alone in her house. Then she glanced at Buffy, then at Keith, sighed, and nodded.

"Awesome," Dean said. "We promise, by morning this will all be over."

XXXX

Sam handed Buffy a silver knife from the trunk after the couple left the house with a few packed bags.

"OK, you two… spill," Buffy said. "What the hell is this thing? It doesn't sound like a typical ghost. And if it was, you two wouldn't have told them to leave."

"It's a Kikimora," Sam told her, pulling out another knife for himself. Buffy stared at him blankly and Sam continued, "We took one down with our dad years ago. It's like a house spirit of nightmares."

Dean picked up the narrative, while he inspected the blade on his dagger with a thumb. "Basically, it's grown from the spirit of a dead woman – usually one who died during childbirth – and she haunts a house until the inhabitants are driven away. It usually focuses on men, giving them nightmares, sleep paralysis, choking them."

"Fun," Buffy said. "How do we kill it?"

"Silver blade to the eyes," he said, as he sheathed his dagger, seemingly satisfied at its sharpness. "But salt will slow it down. And when it feels threatened, it will attack outright."

"Gotcha. So… now what? We wait?"

"It probably won't make an appearance until nightfall," Sam said.

"And if it doesn't make an appearance?" Buffy asked.

"We've gotta pretend to go to sleep," Dean explained. "She'll come for us."

They had a little time until nightfall, so Sam ran out to get a pizza for them. Dean and Buffy waited in the house, mostly talking, though not about anything in particular. Dean explained a little more about the Kikimora. They sat next to each other on the couch, enjoying each other's presence, simply happy that they were together. And that the world wasn't ending, which was nice.

They hadn't discussed their relationship, whatever it was, and Buffy knew that they probably should at some point. They hadn't spent a lot of time in the bunker – they'd been on the road more than half the time since she'd decided to stay with them. But they spent what time together that they could. When they stayed in motels, they usually got two rooms, Dean staying with Buffy instead of his brother. Sam had no objections to this scenario, since it meant that he got his own room for once.

Her friends (apart from Willow) had been surprised at her decision to stay. Dawn and Giles both seemed happy for her, though Dawn explicitly told her that she expected her in Cleveland as often as possible, as Aaron missed her (Dawn claimed that she couldn't care less, of course… she was such a liar). Xander promised to send Buffy copies of the rest of the _Supernatural_ books as soon as he could.

When Sam returned with the pizza, they ate and talked quietly, mostly joking and telling more stories until the sun went down. Then they all hunkered down in the living room, pretending to go to sleep. Sam laid back in a recliner, while Buffy curled up on the couch. Dean laid himself down on the floor next to her, holding Buffy's hand.

Buffy felt tense, trying to keep her eyes partially open, while attempting to look like she was sleeping. The knife that Sam had given her was tucked into a sheath at her side, but she would have much preferred to be holding it instead.

It seemed like hours to Buffy that they lied there, unmoving, and she actually wondered if Sam and Dean hadn't really gone to sleep. She could hear Dean breathing heavily. He was lying on his stomach, arm under the pillow, gripping his dagger. Why hadn't she done that?

Then she started to hear what sounded like squeaking and skittering coming from the cellar. Mice? Keith had said that he'd heard them down there after they'd moved in. But then the sound started to move. It was coming up the stairs from the basement. She tried to relax – she hated this waiting thing. She kept one eye partially open, watching the entrance to the kitchen without looking like she was awake.

And then a figure glided into the room. She moved as though on ice, her hair looking like mist or straw, coming out from behind the shawl she wore over her head. Bright, discerning eyes peered out at them, looking from Buffy, to Dean, to Sam. Keith had been right, those eyes were awful. Completely white and round, with a tiny, but bright red dot at the center.

She reached out a clawed hand, and took a shuddering breath that seemed to drain the warmth from the room. Buffy felt, more than saw, Dean stiffen as she approached Sam. Buffy wanted to jump up right then, but they needed to take the Kikimora by surprise, so they waited until she was preparing for the younger Winchester.

Again, she moved fluidly, climbing on top of Sam. She made no noise and it didn't look like she had any weight as she sat on his chest in the recliner. Sam's fist was clenched, and Buffy knew that he was ready. Then the creature's hands moved to Sam's neck and Dean sprang up, blade in hand.

Buffy was right behind him, unsheathing her own knife. Sam tried to sit up, but it looked like she'd already paralyzed him. His eyes went wide when he realized that he couldn't move. But then Dean got close, and the Kikimora realized that she was being surrounded. She shrieked, a horrible sound, spinning and backhanding Dean across the face, sending him sprawling.

Sam managed to sit up then, the Kikimora gliding off him gracefully, as though it had been intentional. She was on Dean in an instant, pinning him to the floor and choking him. Her white eyes had gone completely red in anger and Buffy rushed her. She half expected to go right through her, but was surprised that the creature was corporeal, tumbling to the ground under Buffy's tackle.

Dean coughed and gasped for air. He blinked and reached around looking for his dagger which had been knocked away. Sam pulled his brother to his feet, while Buffy continued to wrestle with the monster. She was hissing and screeching, trying to get at Buffy's throat. The knife had been dropped when she tackled the thing off of Dean.

Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Sam and Dean on either side of them. She knew they were preparing to pounce the second Buffy got out of the way.

"You…" she breathed, holding on to the thing's shoulders – it was stronger than it looked, "… two… ready?"

"Now, Buffy!" Sam shouted, and Buffy released the thing, kicking it in the stomach as she bound to her feet. Dean pounced perpendicularly over the Kikimora, pinning it to the ground with his body, but leaving its head free. Sam then plunged the knife he still held into one of the creature's eyes. He pulled it back out quickly, stabbing the second eye in quick succession. It screamed and writhed under Dean, but he stayed where he was until it stopped moving.

"Hey!" Buffy said, happily. "Go team!" She raised a hand to high-five Dean, who just raised his eyebrows at her, amused. She huffed and turned to Sam, hand still raised. He humored her, high-fiving her back, while shaking his head, an entertained twinkle in his eye, and a half grin on his lips.

"What do we do with the body?" Buffy asked. She so preferred monsters who took care of their own cleanup.

"We bury it," Dean said. "Shovels are in the trunk."

The next morning, they called Keith and Kelsey to let them know that they had taken care of the woman. They were purposefully vague about who – what – it was, so that they didn't have to ruin their lives by letting them in on the secret world of the supernatural.

The couple returned to the house, Keith thanking them profusely, while Kelsey looked at them all like they were all crazy. It was clear that despite what the "FBI" were saying, she still wasn't 100% convinced that the woman was real.

The three of them piled into Dean's baby and took off toward the highway. Dean was blasting Led Zeppelin's _Black Dog_ , while Sam tried to ignore him. Buffy watched him, now used to his driving shenanigans, and she couldn't help the grin on that formed on her face. It was going to be a long drive. But she was OK with that. There was something reassuring about these two in the Impala. They seemed the most relaxed, the most at home, when they were driving. Even more so than when they were in the bunker.

Buffy might never be normal. But neither would Sam or Dean. They could be freaks together. And that thought more than anything else, made her happy about her choice to stay with the Winchesters. Happy to find this new home, whether that meant the bunker, the Impala, or just the boys.

She reached over the seat, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam grin at the gesture. Dean reached his hand up, covering hers with his own. She kissed his fingertips and when she looked up, their eyes met in the rear view mirror. He was happy she was there.

And then Sam's phone went off.

"It's a text from Garth. Witches in Nampa, Idaho."

Sam looked up, catching Dean's eye and then Buffy's. "Well… that was a nice break," he said sarcastically.

Buffy chuckled and sat back in her seat. "I guess we've got work to do," she said. Dean smiled, turned the music up, and put his foot down.

THE END

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you to everyone who joined me on this journey! I hope you all enjoyed it. A special thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed. They really mean a lot to me!


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